Shots heard ’round the world

The shots heard ’round the world—a statement that now solemnly holds truth for the United States. In recent years, gun control and violence have been topics protruding on the tips of the tongue, politicians endlessly bickering on the correct approach to the problematic concern. Yet, nothing has been done to correct the issue; as a result, eight mass shootings have occurred this past week, a problem that solely resonates within the U.S., as other countries view the chaotic nature we have deemed as an everyday routine.

There is a lack of consensus on the definition of a mass shooting; the closest configuration of one is any occurrence where at least four people are murdered or wounded by a gun. According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 600 mass shootings have occurred in 2022, yet we still have another month before the year ends. As well the website reports there have been a total of eight mass shootings throughout the nation:

Nov. 18 – Richmond, Va.

A Maryland man shot and killed his former girlfriend and her three children; he is the father of the two youngest victims. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Nov. 19 – Colorado Springs, Colo.

Five people were killed and at least 25 injured at Club Q, a nightclub tied to the LGBTQ community, before bystanders confronted and stopped him before police arrived. 

Source: CNN

Nov. 19 – Washington Park, Ill.

10 people were shot, two fatally, in what is said to be a “personal altercation” between two groups of people around 7:45 p.m.

Source: ABC 7 Chicago 

Nov. 19 – Philadelphia, Miss.

At a bonfire in Yazoo County, a man was killed while six others were shot after gambling over a dice game around midnight. 

Source: WLBT

Nov. 20 – Hennessey, Okla.

Four people were killed at a marijuana farm during the afternoon, while a fifth victim was wounded and taken to a nearby hospital. All victims were of Chinese descent. 

Source: 2News

Nov. 20 – Dallas, Texas

Just before 2 a.m., in a parking lot behind a billiards hall, four men were shot; two remain in critical condition. Police have not shared with the public the circumstances of the shooting or any suspects they may have identified.

Source: Fox 4

Nov. 22 – West Palm Beach, Fla.

Four people, one man and three women, were shot in a neighborhood early Tuesday morning near Palm Beach International Airport; the man and a woman died, while the other two women sustained injuries. 

Source: Palm Beach Post

Nov. 22 – Chesapeake, Va.

Seven individuals, including the shooter, died after a mass shooting in Walmart at night with six injured, marking the third Virginia mass shooting within the past two weeks. 

Source: ABC 8 News

According to The Washington Post, every week, at least four mass shootings occur; per day, there is an average of more than one mass shooting. The highest number of mass shootings transpired in July, totaling 89, with only five days without the sound of a murderous gun.

Not only is the entirety of the nation in great danger due to their own people, but so are the younger generations. According to Snopes, there have been a total of 257 shootings on school campuses as of Oct. 24, surpassing the total of 250 for all of 2021.

Guns are entering schools; guns are becoming our lives, taking them whenever the person it was bestowed upon deems it “necessary” to shoot, to kill. Death is inevitable, yet we cause it—we allow it as we are all on the sideline of our own lives.

Two more mass shootings occurred on Nov. 23; there will most likely be more accounted for on Nov. 24 and the day after that. Then, the day after that day, and so on and so forth. It is a continuous cycle that cannot shatter without the intention to fully break it beyond repair. Yet, there is a blockade set in place; the only thing that may overcome that is ourselves, only if we acknowledge the seriousness of this matter.