The shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., last week by a 14-year-old student who used an AR-15-style gun killed four people, and injured nine more. It’s the state’s 16th mass shooting this year, and one of 27 school shootings in 2024 that caused injuries or deaths, according to Education Week. A recent Harvard Youth Poll found that voters ages 18-29 are more concerned about gun violence than climate change, Governing reports. The National Rifle Association says Georgia does not mandate the licensing of gun owners or registration of firearms, and it does not require a permit to purchase or carry a handgun or rifle.
Advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety outlines five “foundational” gun control measures that could prevent fatalities, including background checks (or permits) for gun purchases; forbidding concealed carry without a permit; “extreme risk” laws that make it possible to use court orders to take guns temporarily from people in crisis (or abusers); rejecting “stand your ground” or “shoot first” policies; and secure storage of firearms and ammunition. Harvard pediatrician Michael Rosenbaum highlights studies indicating that legislation restricting firearm access and requiring safe storage can decrease school shootings. In reaction to the Georgia incident, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance contended that enhanced school security is a crucial factor, a sentiment echoed by many. Pew Research has discovered that about half of parents think improved security could have an impact, and a bipartisan majority agrees that mental health screenings could be beneficial. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence publishes an annual scorecard, giving states grades based on analysis of their existing laws, recent legislation and how their gun mortality rates compare to the national average. In total, 21 states, including Georgia, received an “F” in its most recent report.
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