In the last few weeks, the United States has witnessed several incidents of violence, leaving communities shaken. In Colorado, there was a school shooting where two students were injured, with one being in critical condition. Within the same day, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while attending an event at Utah Valley University.
These events have created a variety of different reactions, one being from sophomore Caelyn Guistwite.
“I think this will be felt throughout the country as it shows that gun violence saves no one. I hope these events lead to bigger actions taken to protect US citizens, though I am unsure of what the impact will be,” said Guistwite.
Guistwite said that people believe there should be higher actions taken in order to keep citizens safe, and she believes that no one is an exception to violence.
Others have also agreed with Guistwite’s statement, one being sophomore Keira France.
“These events could affect the community by having people take further actions to ensure this does not happen again…I think these events could potentially lead to something more because this time of violence has been a major issue, and these cases are important,” she said.
In the month of August, there was a shooting in Minnesota at the Annunciation Catholic Church. Eight year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10 year-old Harper Moyski were shot and killed that morning, with several others left injured. In the midst of grief, their community has come together to provide support, holding mourning services, fundraising for the victims’ families and providing hospital support to the people who were injured.
Violence has even hit us more locally, with the death of 25-year old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. She was riding the Blue Lynx Line light train in Charlotte, N.C. at around 10 p.m. when she was stabbed. She had come to the United States for a fresh life after fleeing Ukraine and had shown a lot of perseverance in her life.
Although these incidents happened in very different circumstances, they all have caused grief and loss for the families and communities around them. It has also made their resolve for change even stronger. Many people have been pushing for changes in their states, leading to Colorado state legislators already passing new gun safety measures.
North Carolina’s gun laws have also recently changed, allowing most adults to carry a concealed gun without a permit or background check. They also passed a law allowing private school staff and volunteers to get a concealed handgun permit with proper training.
Overall violence is a pressing issue in the world, and we will continue to hear more stories like this from around the country. This issue isn’t something that will go away any time soon, but there are still people who hope for a safer future.
