Thirty-nine. There have been 39 mass shootings in the United States since the start of 2023, according to ABC News. The Gun Violence Archive stated there are an estimated 73 deaths and 165 injuries.
The GVA has also confirmed 39 mass shooting events and defines them as, “[four] or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.”
The U.S. is number one — in mass shootings and gun ownership. The number one cause of death in ages 1-19 is firearms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Columbine shooting was probably the originator — or at least the biggest wake-up call — for gun reform and control. Columbine and Sandy Hook rocked the U.S. and were the topic of national news for weeks after. Quickly, mass shootings became regular national-level news, and active shooter safety became dinner discussions.
After the Parkland shooting, there was a different reaction. Instead of shock, there was outrage — justified outrage. There were national-level movements and protests like March for Our Lives and the Never Again Movement. Gun reform became a hot and widely debated topic.
But that outrage could only last for so long. Laws and amendments took precedence. The U.S. was already desensitized to mass shootings, and that trend has only continued.
Now, we merely blink and sigh in disappointment at the news of yet another mass shooting — most times — we don’t even hear about them. What seems to catch public attention is — not the individual lives lost — but rather the details themselves. There are still movements, protests and active debates, but the reality of it all seems to crush any hope for change.
The Monterey Park shooting had the most deaths and injuries of the 39 mass shootings in January. ABC and CBS News have reported at least 11 deaths and nine injuries. The shooting occurred at a dance studio celebrating the Lunar New Year.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told CBS News that he is renewing his call for stricter gun control and said, “the second amendment is becoming a suicide pact.”
Large crowds are now uncomfortable. Loud noises in educational settings become deafening. Every door and window is marked as a calculated plan of escape. Thirty-nine mass shootings in less than a month. How much worse can it get before change happens?