“116,385 children and teens were killed by firearms between 1979 and 2009- enough to fill 4,655 public school classrooms of 25 students each” By now, this alarming statistic, obtained by the Children’s Defense Fund, should have gotten the attention of major American politicians. Yet it still has not! Over the past year, school shootings have grown to be a colossal issue that have taken the United States by storm. Although some say that the way to stop shootings is to arm teachers, Three more effective ways to stop school shootings in America are limiting the amount guns in the country, increasing school security, and not naming shooters on media platforms. 

One of the primary ways to limit the number of school shootings in America is by limiting the number of guns in America. This includes regulating the types of guns allowed, who is allowed to obtain them, and how they are able to do so. According to Melissa Healy, an esteemed writer for the Los Angeles Times, “Guns were the cause of death in 3.4 of every 100,000 deaths in Massachusetts that year, according to the CDC. In Louisiana, guns caused 21.3 of every 100,000 deaths, and 23.3 of every 100,000 deaths in Alaska”. This proves the claim that gun limits show results as states with more lenient gun policies, such as Louisiana and Alaska, have significantly greater rates of gun homicide than stricter states, such as Massachusetts. If every U.S. state adopted these same strict policies, the overall gun homicide rate in America would decrease drastically.  Another way to tackle this growing issue is by fixing the process to obtain a gun completely. Right now, the American screening process for obtaining a weapon is in shambles. Criminals, lunatics, as well as juvenile delinquents are still able to obtain guns no matter how strict the system is. This is due to the loophole known as the “Brady Law Loophole”. This dangerous phenomena allows those who have failed to pass their background checks to obtain a firearm from an outside source. According to Michael Cooper, an author for the New York Times, “How many of those rejected buyers were able buy guns without background checks, from private sellers or over the Internet, is difficult to say, in part because restrictions imposed by Congress make it difficult for law enforcement officials to track firearms sales”. This quote further proves this notion as it demonstrates how Congressmen can not even keep up with the number of offshore sales as there are far too many. Once this loophole is patched, the government will take back full control over who is allowed to own a firearm and bring about significant change to this country.

Another way to prevent mass shootings in America is by upping the amount of school security. The country, as a whole, is lacking in the amount of the preventive measures taken against school shootings. One technological innovation that desperately needs to be put in schools are metal detectors. At a public high school in New York City, a strict metal detecting system was implemented and since then, the number of weapons that have gotten into the school has decreased drastically. In a press release commenting on the schools success, former New York Mayor Michael. R  Bloomberg states that  “Citywide this year, schools have confiscated 307 weapons (20 of which were guns)—up 5% from last year—and 1,355 dangerous instruments—down 6% compared to last year”. These devices detect any foreign metals that enter the school and trigger an alarm that alerts the school immediately. From one device alone, 20 possible shootings were stopped. If every school in the United States used these same tactics to tackle gun homicide, the rate of overall gun deaths would lessen significantly. Another way to improve security is by possibly implementing high-tech surveillance systems. Shooters, unfortunately, are very intelligent and find ways to imitate a parent/guardian of a child who is at a certain school. And without surveillance systems, the intruder can get in and do all sorts of diabolical things. And at the New Egypt Elementary School in Township New Jersey, a system like this is already in place. Rebecca Sausner, a young author, states the entrance to the school has “a wall-mounted camera takes a picture of the parent's iris—the colored ring surrounding the eye's pupil—and matches its 247 distinct points in the school's database of registered parents. If a match is found, the front door unlocks and the parent can proceed to the office to check in”. Although this system seems drastic, it will weed out any imposters trying to enter the school for foul reasons. Another positive impact this system may have is on a criminological scale. If an intruder is found out to be in possession of a firearm, the eye scan will provide information on the shooter that may be crucial in a police investigation.

One final way to end the mass shootings epidemic is to stop naming shooters in the media. Although it is sorrowful to think about, “copycat shooters” do exist. “Copycat shooters” are criminals who treat gun violence as a publicity stunt. Twisted individuals, who are desperate for fame, will notice a shooter being talked about on every news channel and every news journal, and develop a sick desire to be like them. According to Alan Zarembo, an author for LA Times,CHere, we see that many shooters involved in the most notorious shootings, including the Virginia Tech shooting, have broadcasted their crimes in some way to gain national attention. Recognizing these criminals through the media will only give shooters to come even more fuel to top the last major shooting as if it were a competition. Erik Wemple, an author for the Washington Post Digital, notes that “the perpetrator of the shootings at Oregon's Umpqua Community College in 2015 had praised the perpetrator of the Virginia killings of two local broadcast television staffers months earlier”. The author provides a perfect example of how one person’s desperation for fame can begin a domino effect of shootings. Wemple also compares media influenced crimes to a virus, saying that “ the news media act as a 'vector' that can transmit the infection across a very large area. The people who are susceptible to ideation to commit these terrible acts are quite rare in the population”. To speak metaphorically, the epidemic of this “virus” would be ceased once major news platforms stopped putting shooters at the forefront and started reporting more about the victims and their families. It is crucial that the media stops recognizing the names of shooters as it will only lead to more of these same crimes.

    In recent discussion of mass shootings, many critics believe that arming teachers with firearms is the right way to go. According to Ted Nugent, an author for Greenhaven Press, “First, teachers should have the right to be armed. In the event they are violently attacked by a violent punk, teachers should have the right and obligation to fill the punks with hot lead. Just because of their profession, teachers should not be forced into unarmed helplessness”. The author can be applauded for putting the safety of children and teachers at the forefront. But in reality, this claim that teachers should be armed is dangerous as it will only create a larger safety concern. According to Allen Rostron, “given the frequency with which innocent civilians are killed or injured in urban cross fire and soldiers are killed by friendly fire, it is equally plausible that creating a cross fire might cost additional lives. Indeed, even trained police officers, on average, hit their intended target less than 20% of the time”. This quote further proves that arming teachers will do everything but save lives as even trained professionals, including police officers, “hit their intended target less than 20% of the time”. And since teachers are not trained to handle a weapon of a high magnitude, the percent will be drastically lower and will put students and other staff members at the risk of being shot.

The three best ways to stop school shootings in America are by limiting the number of guns in America, increasing the amount of in school security, and by keeping the names of shooters out of the media, as evident by alarming statistics as well as various expert opinions. Fixing loopholes in gun laws and creating a stricter process that controls who is able to obtain these guns will limit the number of guns that can be accessed by the criminally insane. Implementing items such as surveillance cameras and metal detectors will not only catch shooters in the act, but keep these criminals out of the building entirely. And lastly, not naming shooters in the media will decrease the number of desperate copycat shootings drastically. These are the only ways to stop shootings in America and they need to be acted upon immediately. It's time that the people of America take action against hate crime while fat cat American politicians sit around merely sending their  “thoughts and prayers.” 

 Works Cited 

Bloomberg, Michael R. “Metal Detectors Maintain School Safety.” School Policies, edited by Jamuna Carroll, Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Accessed 9 May 2018. Originally published as “Mayor Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Klein and Police Commissioner Kelly Announce a New School Safety Initiative amid Significant Declines in Crime in City Impact Schools: Launch of Mobile ‘Unannounced’ Scanning Program Increases Breadth and” in nyc, 13 Apr. 2006.

Children’s Defense Fund. “Gun Violence Particularly Threatens Children.” Gun Violence, edited by Laurie  S. Scherer, Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Issues That Concern You.

Cooper, Micheal `, et al. “Loopholes in Gun Laws Allow Buyers to Skirt Checks.” New York Times, 10 Apr. 2013. Accessed 10 May 2018.

Healy, Melissa. “Gun Limits show Results.” Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar, 2018, pp. A.15, SIRS Issues Researcher.

“No Notoriety Urges News Media to Avoid Naming Orlando Shooter.” CNN Wire, 13 June 2016. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Accessed 9 May 2018.

Nugent, Ted. “Arming Teachers Is Necessary to Reduce School Violence.” Juvenile Crime, edited by Louise  I. Gerdes, Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 9 May 2018. Originally published as “Spare the Rod, Destroy America” in Human Events, 8 Oct. 2009.

Rostron, Allen, and Brian Siebel. “Arming Teachers Will Not Reduce School Violence.” Juvenile Crime, edited by Louise  I. Gerdes, Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, 4. Accessed 9 May 2018. Originally published as “No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby’s Campaign to Push Guns into Colleges and Schools” , May 2007, pp. 9-11.

Sausner, Rebecca. “Surveillance Technology Keeps Schools Secure.” School Policies, edited by Jamuna Carroll, Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Accessed 9 May 2018. Originally published as “Seeing Is Believing: School Districts Are Using High-Tech, and Low-Tech, Approaches to Make Sure Students Are Safe” in District Administration, vol. 39, no. 7, July 2003, pp. 36-39.

Wemple, Erik. “Is Las Vegas Coverage Prepping the Next ‘Copycat’ Killer?” Washington Post - Blogs, 03 Oct, 2017. SIRS Issues Researcher.

Zarembo, Alan. “Do Killers Play the Media?” Los Angeles Times, 19 Jun, 2016, pp. A.2, SIRS Issues Researcher.