Guns are revolutionary, especially personal firearms. They’re a small, portable, and pack enough lethality to stop nearly anything that might pose a threat to your life. But items of such power aren’t always in the right hands, and we get weekends like this one. There were multiple different public shootings last weekend, killing at least seven, and injuring around 24 people, which included children.
The first event you may have heard about. It took place in downtown Sacramento, California early Sunday morning. Reportedly taking place after some kind of fight, the resulting gunfire killed seven and injured five. They found a stolen handgun, along with social media video footage that was likely of the fight prior to the shooting, but the culprit has yet to be found.
This event has been referenced by various politicians across the country, including Joe Biden. Many of them are taking the opportunity to call for better gun control.
The other shooting, however, has been far less spoken of. It also took place early Sunday morning, where a free(ish) public event was being held in Dallas, Texas. Titled the “Second Annual Epic Easter Bike Out & Field Party,” it was a large event, featuring a variety of rap and hip hop musical artists. Kids 10 and under were granted free admission, with about 2,000 people were in attendance. Gunfire shot out in the crowd around midnight, killing a 26-year-old man, and injuring 11 others, which included minors. The culprit has not been found at this time and their motivations remain unclear.
What to Consider
It’s no secret that The United States has a problem with public shootings. It happens remarkably more often here than in other countries. While some folks (and politicians) believe the answer to the issue is stricter gun control, others believe the problem is a public service issue, suggesting healthier public programs to combat things like mental health.
We won’t expand on what WE think the solution is, that’s not why we’re here. But it’s important that we still highlight what’s happening and provide you, the reader, with all of the information available, so that you can make your own decision. America has a public shooting problem, though. We shouldn’t try and deny that, and instead look towards finding a way to solve it before it happens to us.
One thing we will remark on, however, is the true owner of the gun found at the California shooting. Owning a firearm is a big responsibility, and the notion that the owner was not careful enough with their weapon to allow it to be stolen and used in a shooting is extremely disappointing. You should always know exactly where your guns are at all times. And when you’re not able to, like sleeping or away from home, then it should be either secured in a safe or hidden where it can’t be found. Even then, its safety should be confirmed regularly, on the off-chance it does go missing.