On April 20th, 1999, two teenagers walked into Columbine High School, shot and killed thirteen people, and committed suicide. This tragedy increased America’s awareness of gun violence, mental illness, and the need for gun control. America said, Never again.

          Seven years later, on April 16th, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Tech, a man shot and killed 32 students and professors. This massacre has remained the deadliest school shooting in American history. Never again.

          On December 14th, 2012, the victims were at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty children, aged 6 to 7, and six adults were shot and killed. Never again.

          In 2018, on Valentine’s Day, 17 people were shot and killed at Parkland High School in Miami. There were nationwide walkouts in remembrance of the victims, and the urge for more substantial gun control was once again awakened in Americans. Never again.

          Two years ago, on May 24th, 2022, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a former student shot and killed 21 people. Never… again?

          This year, on September 4th, 2024, four people were shot and killed at Apalachee High School. And as of September 13th, according to CNN, there have been at least 49 school shootings in America. How can we as a country continue to say Never again, if nothing changes? Children have been dying in schools due to unforgivable shootings at a rapid pace over the past decade, and lawmakers have done little to change this trajectory. This data does not include the numerous other mass shootings that happen on a near-daily basis in America—the Pulse Nightclub shooting, as an example, that killed 49 people in 2016.

          According to a study done by the Pew Research Center in 2024, 58% of American adults surveyed favor stricter gun laws. 61% of them say that it is too easy for people to obtain a gun legally, and slightly less than half (49%) say that the increasing number of firearms in the country is a significant and harmful problem. The American population’s relationship with guns is almost typically split between those who identify in support of Democrats and Republicans. The only issues agreed upon by those of both parties are preventing individuals with mental illnesses from purchasing guns and increasing the minimum age for purchasing guns to 21 years old. What the party divide tends to disagree on the most involves assault-style weapons and guns in schools. 85% of Democrats support the ban on assault-style weapons, while only 57% of Republicans do. Thinking specifically about guns in schools, a majority of teachers surveyed (59%) responded that they worry about a shooting happening at their school, and 18% were extremely worried. Out of parents, 32% said they were extremely worried about a shooting at their child’s school, and 37% said they were somewhat concerned. In response to this, 74% of Republicans surveyed supported the idea of teachers carrying guns in school to battle violence. But the critical question arises of whether America’s gun problem will be solved with more guns.

          After the increase in assassinations of political figures in the 1960s, the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA Act) was enacted, which aimed to regulate the firearms industry and ownership. Ronald Reagan’s administration passed the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986, which extended protections for gun owners. But, after the assassination attempt against Reagan, the administration amended the GCA Act with the Brady Law in 1993, which added the requirement for background checks when buying a gun. This was amended again in 1994 by the Violence Against Women Act, which strengthened bans against domestic abusers from purchasing firearms. The next significant change to gun laws happened after the Stockton, California schoolyard shooting in 1994. After 32 children were shot and five killed, Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which included a ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding over ten rounds. This ban expired after ten years.

          In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, former President Barack Obama announced a plan to reduce gun violence in America, but no federal legislation was passed. During Donald Trump’s presidency, his administration and the Department of Justice banned bump stocks, which are used to make semi-automatic weapons fully automatic. Soon after, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court lifted the ban, claiming that it violated the Second Amendment. President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law in 2022. This law expanded background checks for individuals under 21, put $15 billion into funding for school security and mental health programs, banned convicted domestic abusers from owning guns, and encouraged states to enact red flag laws, which allow people to apply to a judge to take away an individual’s gun if they are deemed a risk.

          This election season, gun control has not been at the forefront of conversations as much as other topics, like immigration and abortion. Former President Donald Trump made his stance on guns clear during his presidency. He is strongly supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has continued that relationship into his current campaign. He spoke in front of a crowd of NRA members, saying that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms” if he should return to the White House. He even claimed that he was “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House,” and would strictly protect the rights of gun owners. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz are proud gun owners and have made it clear to the public that they are not going to take away anyone’s guns. In a recent panel with Oprah Winfrey, Harris said she supports a ban on assault weapons, more thorough background checks, and red flag laws. Tim Walz shares similar sentiments, saying he believes “in the Second Amendment” but also believes “that our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe.”

          Gun violence is prevalent in American society, and our country remains an outlier from others in the amount of gun deaths every year. People kill people every day, but having access to assault-style weapons makes it easier for them to do so. How are we going to protect our children while they receive their education? How will we know if we are safe when we go out? During this and every election season, it is vital to keep in mind these statistics and the actual prevalence of gun violence.