Priyal Binani
- Jul 15, 2022
- 4 min read

Uvalde School Shooting: A testimony to gun violence

A school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, United States, has left 21 people dead and 17 wounded. As the world is still reeling from the massacre, public outcries have overwhelmed social media. Leaders around the world are expressing condolences and giving prayers, as the details of the encounter surface. What are the consequences of the shooting for the community at large? How has this impacted the long running debate about stricter gun control legislation in the United States? Here to shine a light on the discussions sparked with the horrifying event is Perspectoverse’s Priyal Binani.

The mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24th, 2022, was one of the deadliest ocurrings of our times. The massacre, perpetrated by eighteen-year-old Salvador Ramos, left two teachers and nineteen students dead, and seventeen people wounded. While discussions in the community are centering around the details of the attack, an urgent debate regarding gun legislations was sparked with the fatality. Reactions to the tragedy have taken various forms in the international community: condolences, thoughts and prayers, shock, sadness and more.

According to law enforcement, the shooter had acted alone, and further details about the encounter are still surfacing. Following Ramos’ entry into the school, the police from different departments had assembled to construct a tactical response. An agent from the Border Patrol tactical unit killed the gunman. Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez had informed the Cable News Network (CNN) that Ramos had purchased two assault rifles following his eighteenth birthday. According to the senator, “He had no problem accessing those weapons.”

As the local citizens are still processing the massacre, the encounter has elicited various responses, including fundraisers, donations, prayers, and more. An article from the satirical newspaper The Onion has gained immense popularity. The media company has used the headline, "’No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens," approximately twenty one times over a period of eight years, for reporting major mass shootings. The articles always quote a fictional resident:

“This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them,” said the person, echoing sentiments expressed by tens of millions of individuals who reside in a nation where over half of the world’s deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the past 50 years and whose citizens are 20 times more likely to die of gun violence than those of other developed nations. “It’s a shame, but what can we do? There really wasn’t anything that was going to keep this individual from snapping and killing a lot of people if that’s what they really wanted.”

Among the various responses to the incident, wide ranging criticism of the U.S. gun culture was witnessed. President Joe Biden addressed the nation following the shooting, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House. Leaders from various nations have spoken out. As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed the country’s support for all those affected, Pope Francis mentioned the need for stricter gun safety laws in the United States. The social media community has been raging with comments calling for better gun control, expressing anger at the horrifying incident.

Texas democrats continue to push for the implementation of gun control measures. In a letter sent to the governor on Saturday, May 28th, thirteen Senate Democrats demanded a special session in order to pass gun control legislation. The letter also outlines proposals for the legislature to pass, including raising the minimum age required for purchasing a gun from 18 to 21, expanding background checks, and more.

In addition to this, more than two hundred business leaders from all fifty states sent a joint letter to the Senate, demanding “immediate action” against gun violence. The letter reads:

“Taken together, the gun violence epidemic represents a public health crisis that continues to devastate communities – especially Black and Brown communities – and harm our national economy. All of this points to a clear need for action: the Senate must take urgent action to pass bold gun safety legislation as soon as possible in order to avoid more death and injury.”

On June 8th, Wednesday, the U.S House of Representatives passed a wide range of measures pertaining to the regulation of gun sales, with a 223-204 vote. The bill would prevent sales of semi-automatic rifles to anyone under the age of twenty-one, among other measures. However, it is important to note that the respective bills cannot pass into the law without approval from the Senate, and the chances for the same are slim. The debate on the House floor reflected the opposing perspectives between the parties, as the House Republicans fiercely argued that the measures would pose a restriction and limitation of rights for responsible gun owners.

While it is clear that the community requires more immediate and drastic responses to the situation, any progress at all is being accepted. As gun control measures are being debated upon, people are understandably frustrated at the Uvalde school shooting, and the only precedent is to prevent anything like this from happening again. And yet, we can’t help but question: how many more such shootings are needed for implementing strict gun control laws? Or better yet, what limits personal rights- restricting gun ownership, or risking abuse of gun ownership?

Bibliography:

Uvalde School Shooting: A testimony to gun violence

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