Slaughter of the innocents still an ongoing American nightmare - Steve Cardownie
As I write this column, I am watching the horrific news that eight children have been shot dead in Louisiana making it the worst mass shooting in the USA for 2 years.
Yes, eight children killed by gunfire and it is the worst mass shooting in 2 years. Some countries never witness a mass shooting of such magnitude ever-but in only 2 years!
I have written about the number of guns there are in the hands of the civilian population of America before but will now do so again.
Reports vary but the information I have collated indicates that there were estimated to be around 500 million privately owned guns in America in 2025, with a population of approximately 341 million.
An estimated 30% of Americans own at least one firearm, and as of 2017, Americans possessed 46% of the worlds civilian owned firearms and 42% of American households contained at least one.
Americans are 26 times more likely to be shot and killed than others in high-income countries and every day 327 people on average are shot, with approximately 117 of those dying from their injuries.
Every day around 23 minors are shot in the USA.
According to the BBC there were more than 488 mass shootings in the USA in 2024- a mass shooting being defined as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed.
In each of the first 4 years of this decade there were more than 600 mass shootings (almost 2 per day) and the most devastating attack took place in Las Vegas in 2017 which left 50 people dead and 500 wounded.
According to news reports this latest attack in Louisiana involved the gunman killing 7 of his own children, the youngest victim being 1 year old.
Reports of such atrocities being committed in the USA in UK news bulletins are not uncommon, but they have nevertheless not lost their capacity to shock.
The pro-gun lobby has a lot to answer for, but I doubt if they will lose any sleep over this latest homemade senseless slaughter of innocent children.