Gun Violence In Schools

A common misconception is that if one is diagnosed with a mental illness, he or she will not pass the background check. This is false as only about 0.7% of the denials to purchasing firearms were due to mental illness. The number of guns entering the United States continues to grow with approximately two hundred million privately owned firearms in the United States as of 2000 and more than seven million added to this number every year. It is easy to purchase a gun without having to go through background checks. Guns sold privately or at gun shows do not fall under the federal government's gun regulations. About forty percent of gun sales fell through this “loophole” where private individuals buy and sell firearms without any checks on criminal
According to Koch, K (2012), “a student living in the United States, in comparison to the Scandinavian countries of Finland or Sweden, is 13 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide.” In Sweden, the regulation of guns is categorized as “restrictive”, gun dealers must have a valid license to sell firearms, and the movements of each privately owned firearm must be recorded in an official register. Without more federal control over the flow of guns in the United States, schools are easy and accessible targets for school shooters to take advantage of. It is important that Congress is proactive, taking action before an incident occurs, instead of reacting to a tragedy with massive loss of life. The background checks system that is currently implemented is not cohesive between states. States have their own registry list of disqualifying terms; however, when an individual crosses states lines, that state’s restrictions do not follow the individual. A universal background check and legislation closing the gun show loopholes must be implemented to ensure a universal background check system to guarantee dangerous and unfit people are unable to purchase firearms. Although these actions will not stop every school shooter from causing mass destruction, as the National Center for Health stated that from 1985 to 1997 there were no significant changes to the overall homicide and suicide rates with firearms covered by the Brady Act, gun control regulations will limit access to firearms and make it more difficult for potential shooters to gain access to these lethal weapons. Holding firearm dealers accountable for their sales, creating a universal background check, and closing gun show and private sale loopholes will decrease gun violence and mass school shootings in the United