Gun violence has become a vicious cycle, overwhelming millions of individuals with grief, fear, and sorrow. Despite endless attempts to combat the epidemic, gun violence persists, and has become stronger and more prevalent as time has gone on.
On April 20, 1999, one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two seemingly normal teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, had been planning to commit a violent crime that would later shock not only their local community, but the entire globe. Harris and Klebold brutally murdered twelve students and one teacher, while additionally injuring twenty others. The Columbine High School massacre was an unprecedented act. Unfortunately, the gun violence epidemic began to flourish, and would soon become a common occurrence.
On December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, twenty first graders and six teachers were savagely killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza fired 154 bullets within the span of five minutes, and after his killing spree commenced, he committed suicide. The nation was left in shock, survivors recalled extremely disturbing events, and parents expressed devastation and outrage. These kids’ lives were just beginning, yet a lack of school safety stripped them of their futures.
On December 13, 2025, yet another tragedy occurred in Providence, Rhode Island, at Brown University. It was the second day of final exams, and many students were hosting study groups in order to prepare. Their plans were interrupted. Shortly after four in the afternoon, a gunman entered Barus and Holley, the engineering building. Students panicked and frantically responded by taking cover and fleeing. Sadly, two students were killed, and nine were injured.
These devastating events never should have happened, and despite the many prior mass shootings, nothing seems to change.
There is a pattern-like reaction to these tragedies. Firstly, people respond with shock, questioning how such a horrific event could have taken place. Then comes the “thoughts and prayers”: a message articulated by mass numbers of people, potentially rooted in genuine compassion, yet more commonly an ingenuine and passive way to address the situation and move on. The final step of this formula is the call to action. The public is enraged and hurt; they demand change, however they rely on others to follow through. The worst part about this gun violence epidemic is that people lack compassion until it affects their own community, a direct demonstration of the selfish ideals embedded in our society.
It is time to break this pattern. Enough is enough, and it has been for a long time. Thousands upon thousands of communities have been impacted by gun violence, spanning globally. Even those who have not directly felt the detrimental effects of these tragedies have suffered. I am tired of feeling scared to go to school, a place meant to foster learning and growth, not violence. More than one person is killed in the United States every day as a result of gun violence. Something needs to change.
