Successive Mass Shootings in the US: Drastic Regulations To Overcome Tragedy

In the U.S. on July 4, Independence Day, the most important national holiday, there was — once again — another mass shooting.

In a Chicago suburb in the Midwestern state of Illinois, a man fired a high-powered rifle, indiscriminately killing six people*.

According to a tally by a nonprofit organization, there have been 309 random shooting incidents in the U.S. this year. The current situation in the U.S., where tragic gun crimes continue unabated, is deeply concerning.

On June 25, against the backdrop of the public’s rage over frequent mass shootings across the country, U.S. President Joe Biden signed and established the first new, full-scale gun control legislation in 28 years.

The new gun control laws were implemented because 15 senators and 14 members of the House of Representatives from the Republican Party, which defends the right to own guns as specified in the U.S. Constitution, supported the legislation.

There is the hope that implementation of this bipartisan gun control legislation — pushed by urgent voices saying that rampant gun crimes must somehow be addressed — will decrease such incidents, which could be characterized as the chronic disease of the United States.

The new legislation, called the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” steps up investigations into gun buyers under 21 years of age with criminal records and histories of mental disorders. It also includes financial support for states that introduce “red flag” laws, which allow the seizure of firearms from people who are considered to be a risk to themselves and others.

However, the act did not include some of the drastic measures that Biden had been seeking from Congress, such as banning the sale of highly lethal assault weapons and raising the minimum age of gun buyers from 18 to 21.

On July 4, Biden stated that he was “shocked by the senseless gun violence” and that he was “not going to give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence,” showing an interest in taking even stronger action on gun control.

But the journey ahead is grim. From the perspective of the Republican Party, if Republicans go too far in strengthening gun control, they run the risk of alienating their core voter base. Inevitably, lobbying groups such as the National Rifle Association, the embodiment of the will of the small arms industry, will aim to obstruct stronger regulations via donations to Republican lawmakers.

The U.S. Supreme Court, where most of the justices are conservative, is currently deciding on the constitutionality of state laws that impose restrictions on carrying guns.

Protecting American lives is a nonpartisan duty. We hope that the president and Congress will work hard to implement truly effective gun control measures to break the chain of gun-related tragedies.

*Editor’s Note: According to the most recent tally, seven people were killed and more than three dozen injured.