Mass Shootings

There's been another mass shooting over the weekend. A gunman or gunmen opened fire at a backyard party in Fresno. At least four are dead. (As I write this, there is a second shooting in Oklahoma at a Walmart!)

Deadly Backyard Shooting

As tragic as these shootings are, it's only the tip of the iceberg in this country. According to statistics from bradyunited.org, 310 people are shot in the United States every day. The effects are much broader than the glaring headlines created when there is a mass shooting.

• 100 people are shot and killed
• 210 survive gun injuries
• 95 are injured in an attack
• 61 die from suicide
• 10 survive a suicide attempt
• 1 is killed unintentionally
• 90 are shot unintentionally
• 1 is killed by legal intervention
• 4 are shot by legal intervention
• 1 died but the intent was unknown
• 12 are shot but the intent was unknown

DAILY GUN VIOLENCE IMPACTING CHILDREN AND TEENS (1-17)

Every day, 21 children and teens (1-17) are shot in the United States. Among those:

• 4 die from gun violence
• 2 are murdered
• 17 children and teens survive gun injuries
• 8 are injured in an attack
• 2 children and teens either die from suicide or survive a suicide attempt
• 8 children and teens are shot instances of family fire — a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home resulting in injury or death

Over 113,000 are shot every year. I would think gun owners want to be a part of the solution. Yet, nothing gets accomplished. Congress and the President are doing nothing, shielding themselves in the second amendment. There is something bigger than this. It is a guiding principle in the Declaration of Independence. Our founding fathers thought it so important they put "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness toward the top of the Declaration. None of this make sense if we're all afraid of what our neighbor may do with his or here second amendment rights. 

John Lewis offers a perspective on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

 There is no motive available at this time for the shooting in Fresno, but maybe Americans are not mature enough to bear arms without some limits put on that ownership. Those limits may not end violence, but this is not a zero sum game. Reducing the violence should be a the goal.

Public Radio stations are offering perspective on guns and gun violence. My station, Connecticut Public Radio, is a part of this collaborative.Guns and America over the course of two years, Reporting Fellows at 10 partner public media stations, representing a diverse range of communities all over the country, will report on gun issues, from the cultural significance of hunting and gun ownership to the role guns play in suicide, homicide, mass shootings and beyond.