Opinion: We need better gun control laws in California

There have been multiple shootings in California that affected many people. In January, California saw two mass shootings in three days.

There has been so much bloodshed this year that it almost feels like it’s just the beginning. These deadly events make us question why there hasn’t been anything done yet to reinforce gun control. It almost seems like guns are way too easy to acquire when they often fall into the wrong hands.

There have been many mass shootings and massacres throughout the years from school shootings to supermarket shootings. Many times, the shootings are racially motivated or for another hateful reason. 

Six people including a baby were killed in Goshen, Calif. on January 16. The violence shocked the residents of this Central Valley farming community, according to the L.A. Times.

In a Monterey Park ballroom dance studio, 11 people were killed after a mass shooting on January 21.

The shooter, Huu Can Tran, walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio and opened fire. He then went to a second dance club in Alhambra but was disarmed by Brandon Tsay, whose family owns the studio, according to the Times.

The police think that jealousy over a personal dispute may have been the motive in the attack but emphasize that the investigation is continuing. The next morning, the killer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Times.

Two days after the Monterey Park shooting, seven people were shot and killed in Half Moon Bay, Calif. on Jan. 23.

A 66-year-old farmworker opened fire on his coworkers, fatally shooting seven and injuring another. The shooter “snapped” because of a grievance against some of the people he worked with for years, law enforcement officials said. The shooting occurred in front of children who had just left school, according to the Times.

Near Lake Elsinore on Jan. 13, a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed, two weeks after another deputy was fatally shot during a traffic stop, according to the Times.

A shooting in the Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles on Jan. 28 killed three people and injured four. Authorities said that the attack was not random but they do not yet have a motive and that the suspect or suspects are still at large.

With these shootings, it’s worrying that there might be more to come if nothing is done to stop them from happening. All of these wake-up calls to do something about gun control yet nothing has been done. It makes us question why is it so easy to acquire a gun.

To purchase a firearm in California, some of the qualifications include proving residency in the state and being at least 18 years old. Buyers must possess a Handgun Safety Certificate and successfully complete a safety demonstration with their firearm, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

California has the most gun laws of any state, but it seems that laws could be better since they did not stop these back-to-back mass shootings in January.

Some examples of gun violence really make us question why the shooter was able to access a gun, or why they were walking free.

In the killing of a deputy in Riverside, the shooter William Shae McKay was a “three strikes” felon and facing a life sentence but was out on bail, according to the Times.

When people with criminal records or people who are not in the right state of mind have access to guns, their violent actions have deadly consequences. Terrible things have happened because a gun has landed in the wrong hands. Guns aren’t something that should be played around with or that should be kept unlocked in homes where it could land in the hands of children.

There has to be better gun control laws and more effort into keeping them away from people who use them to harm.

Many people feel affected by the traumatic events of shootings, even when we do not experience it firsthand. In a L.A. Times story, therapists discussed ways to cope with secondary trauma from hearing about mass shootings. If you are struggling with this trauma, it’s important to reach out to someone such as a trusted loved one or seeking support from a professional. If you need mental health support, find a list of resources and immediate crisis support lines here.