Covenant School mass shooting: Another tragic day in America as politicians prioritise gun ownership over basic human rights – Steve Cardownie

At the turn of the year, I devoted my column to the subject of gun violence, particularly the incidence of mass shootings in the United States.
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I provided a few statistics on gun ownership stating that it is estimated that, as of 2017, out of a population of 326 million, US citizens owned 393 million guns of which only 6.06 million were registered. I finished off my piece by saying that, given these statistics, we should be prepared to wake up to the news that there has been another mass shooting in America.

Tragically, we were wakened to the news yesterday that there had been. A 28-year-old gunwoman had walked into a school in Nashville, Tennessee, carrying a pistol and two “assault-style” rifles where she slaughtered three children and three adults before being shot dead by the police.

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Commenting on this latest shocking incident, US President Joe Biden said: “It’s heart-breaking, a family’s worst nightmare. It’s ripping at the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of this nation.” He once again called on Congress to agree to his proposed assault weapons ban.

Since 2013, a mass shooting has been defined as any single attack in a public place with three or more fatalities, in line with the FBI’s definition. This year there have already been 130 mass shootings in the USA, with the Washington Post reporting that there have now been 376 school shootings since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

There were 46 school shootings last year, including one particularly horrendous incident at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, who had recently bought two AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles, calmly walked into the school and killed 19 students, most of whom between eight and ten years old, and two teachers, wounding several other victims.

Each day, 12 children die from gun violence in America and another 32 are injured. Roughly 68 per cent of guns used in incidents at schools were taken from the shooter’s home, a relative or friend. But with an estimated 4.6 million children living in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked, these statistics, although shocking, are hardly surprising.

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Amnesty International says that the state has an obligation to maximise the protection of human rights, creating the safest possible environment for most people, especially those considered to be at greater risk. If a state does not exercise adequate control over the possession and use of firearms in the face of persistent gun violence, this could amount to a breach of its obligations under human rights law.

People attend a vigil for those killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee (Picture: Seth Herald/Getty Images)People attend a vigil for those killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee (Picture: Seth Herald/Getty Images)
People attend a vigil for those killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee (Picture: Seth Herald/Getty Images)

Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said: “The US government is prioritising gun ownership over basic human rights. Despite the huge number of guns in circulation and sheer number of people killed by guns each year, there is a shocking lack of federal regulations that could save thousands.”

In the meantime, we should remain prepared to wake up to the news that there has been another mass shooting in America.