Black Monday

Mass shootings seem to be getting uglier and deadlier in the United States — at least that is what the fatality figures in the last few years have shown. Few would have thought that the Pulse nightclub attack in July 15, 2016 in Orlando — which left 49 people dead — could have been eclipsed in both scale and horror. But around 15 months later, a sole gunman did that by opening fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas and killing as many as 52 music fans while injuring 200 others.

Gun massacres are getting a little too frequent as well, prompting some urgent questions for those in the US administration. The most important of these is to ask why do people go on killing sprees in the first place. The second question is related to the methods which need to be used to limit the carnage caused by this unrestrained form of firearm violence.

Researchers say gun possession often triggers aggrieved, mentally unstable individuals to go on shooting sprees. It is not uncommon for attacks to occur in cities and towns where guns are not prohibited by law. Perhaps state governments in the US should consider enforcing tough gun-control measures like the Assault Weapons Ban which helped bring down rampage violence at the federal level. It is clear that measures like these can keep Americans safe from mass shootings in the future.

It must be remembered that gun violence is more than just a criminal offence or public health scourge, it is a threat to American security. To stave off the threat of gun massacres, state governments ought to come up with more innovative policies which ensure firearm safety reforms and closer investigation of potential active-shooter threats and their prosecution for violent crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2017.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.