On Monday, February 13th, tragedy struck Michigan State University. At approximately 8:18 pm that night, a gunman went to Berkey Hall on the Michigan State campus and opened fire on students. He proceeded to kill two students in Berkey Hall and then left the building. He then entered the MSU Union Building and proceeded to kill one student while injuring a few others. All in all, 3 people were killed, while 5 others were injured. All victims were students of the university.
A three hour period followed of pure fear on campus at Michigan State. Police were methodically clearing buildings one by one, but the shooter was nowhere to be found. News agencies were getting in touch with students, some who were hiding in dorms, classrooms, and dining halls. Finally, when it seemed like all hope was lost, the shooter was found and approached after a tip from locals. As police approached him off-campus in the Lansing area, Anthony McRae died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The university canceled classes and athletic activities for 48 hours following the incident. The governor and president gave their condolences, and the incident had national intention and coverage almost as soon as it started. An especially powerful result of the response to this incident was of the paintings that followed on ‘The Rock’- a historically significant artifice on campus that turned into a memorial.
Incidents like this occur too often in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 67 mass shootings this year, which is unfathomable given the fact that is still the second month of the year.
What can we do about this? Well, there are a few things we can do to start. A podcaster I watch, David Pakman, outlined this 10-point plan:
- End gun show loophole
- Universal background checks
- Mandatory waiting period
- No high capacity weapons under age 25
- Mandatory gun insurance
- Required community support letters for anyone under age 25 who wants a gun
- Ban some weapons
- Periodic mental health evaluation
- Extensive licensing process
- Gun buyback program
At first glance, a lot of these ideas make sense. Some of them are easy to implement. Others, like universal background checks, have overwhelming support. Two of the harder solutions here are mandatory gun insurance and the licensing process. We currently have a very limited infrastructure for this and hard work would have to be put in to make a system that is fair and equitable for everyone. It would more or less be similar to licensing for vehicles- there would be training and licenses that would have to be renewed to be sure that a person is fit to own a firearm(along with the mental health evaluations, of course).
As a final note, the point in this plan that seems the most ambiguous is the idea of banning some weapons. While some people have suggested banning assault weapons, which is more or less the European standard, I personally do not know where the line should be drawn.
What is clear, however, is that change needs to be made. If even some of the above or other reform I did not mention is made, it will ultimately reduce the number of times incidents like this occur and the number of deaths attributed to gun violence overall. And that is important.
As someone from Michigan who lived near the area, it was horrifying to hear about the shooting. While, as you mentioned, they are all too common, it is always a harsh reminder when it happens close to you. I think the 10 point outline you shared could make a significant change in the amount of gun violence in America. Hopefully some of the ‘easier’ points are able to be passed through the government level to initiate a larger change in gun ownership.
It’s honestly really sad when these things happen and my friends and I don’t even have the emotional capacity to respond or speak about it. I feel like the most emotional I felt about a school shooting was Sandy Hook as that happened in my state and it changed the way children, especially in Connecticut, felt about about school and leaving their parents. But when these events are seemingly happening every other week, you just grow numb to it, and school shootings have become something that’s incredibly American. While I do like a lot of the things on that list of things to do to try and limit things like this happening, personally, I feel like a general ban on all guns is what’s truly necessary. Yes, the right to bare arms is in the constitution, but it’s an incredibly outdated document that barely even relates to what society looks like now. Removing politics from this, my heart aches for these families and these students who had to live in such fear. I can’t even imagine how the Michigan State University is feeling right now.
I remember sitting in the Globe Lounge when the story about the Michigan shooting broke. I was deeply saddened by the news, especially since I have a family friend who attends the university (thankfully, she suffered no physical damage). Three people killed were three too many. It makes me incredibly disappointed in our country for not regulating guns better. While I am not necessarily an opponent of the Second Amendment as I do see some merit in the Amendment, I strongly dislike the ease with which one can acquire a gun. I agree with you that there should be background checks, gun insurance, and waiting periods to mitigate the number of guns in regulation. Thank you for shedding light on such an important topic!