I know I am not alone in saying that I am tired. We are not even a week into 2026, and there have already been at least 7 mass shootings. A mass shooting is categorized as an incident involving 4 or more people at the same time and location. The number of incidents involving gun violence in general is much higher. There were 3 shootings on New Year’s Day alone, with a total of 13 injured victims.
According to the Violence Prevention Project, despite making up only around 5% of the global population, the United States accounts for a third of the world’s total mass shootings. Furthermore, the US is responsible for over 70% of mass shootings in developed countries. In fact, our position as a developed country has been questioned, as the US has consistently missed the benchmark requirements for that designation. Gun violence is a big part of that, along with access to healthcare, education levels, and poverty rates.
Gun reform is possible and has even proven extremely successful. The United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan have seen a significant decrease in shootings since enacting stronger firearm regulations and stricter licensing laws. Rather than addressing the root of the issue by creating stronger gun restrictions, politicians are prioritizing band-aid solutions under the excuse of protecting the Second Amendment. Despite numerous protests and peaceful demonstrations, our government continues to fail us. How many people need to be injured or die senselessly before drastic measures are taken to prioritize the safety of US citizens?
We, as a society, have become extremely desensitized to gun violence through repeated exposure. News articles about new shootings are so common that most of us hardly react. Things are only going to get worse as we continue to lose our societal empathy.
January 2025 saw 25 mass shootings. Only time will tell if that number increases or decreases in 2026.
