Gun Violence is Increasing In the US

Trigger Warning:

This essay contains content that depicts a scenario of gang-related violence and the ripple effects of experiencing a hate crime. This is a personal share, and one that has impacted and also inspired me to dig further into the root causes of violence, poverty, and the impacts racism and mental illness have on our youth.

Recently, my son was held at gunpoint and robbed in front of a hotel in downtown Seattle, Washington. He was pistol-whipped five times over the head while two gang members in ski masks rifled through his wallet, phone, personal possessions, and whatever shred of dignity he had left. There was no known motive, other than he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  One of the 17-year-old men held a Glock 23 with an extended 23-round magazine and an auto sear fixed to the back plate.  Had he fired the weapon, my son would have been the recipient of several rounds of ammunition. This weapon is restricted and prohibited in the US, and only federally licensed military individuals are allowed to carry it. And yet, it made its way into the hands of two 17-year-olds. The encounter rendered my son angry, frustrated, afraid, confused, and resentful not only toward these individuals but also toward the Seattle Police Department, which had manifestly botched the police report.  

The overall gun death rate in Washington state has increased by 5% in 2023 compared to 2022. On a national scale, 125 people are killed every day from gun-related injuries (Johns Hopkins, 2024). The US gun homicide rate is 26 times that of other high-income countries, and the demographic dying the most are children and young people.

How have we, as a nation, allowed such violence and lax gun laws to manifest into a perpetual cycle of violence and hate? We, as constituents and policy supporters, are not considering the impact gun-related and gang-related violence is having on our kids. And it is our children who are suffering the most from the policies and laws meant to protect them.

How is it that a couple of bored teenagers suffering from the consequences of low socioeconomic status, with little support, prospects, and educational attainment, decide to dehumanize and humiliate others out of jealousy, hatred, ignorance, and a lack of control over their own circumstances?  

My initial reaction when my son told me this was fear for his safety, and sadness at knowing how angry, frightened, and powerless he must have felt. I quickly masked such vulnerable emotions under a thick blanket of socially conditioned and deep-seated anger that bordered on rage. I allowed myself to fully feel the complex interplay of these emotions, and in that state of inscrutable acceptance, I pictured the two young men as children, once innocent and inchoate. I considered the socioecological hurdles they faced growing up, the marginalization and racism that probably encompassed their daily lives, and the probable neglect, violence, and abuse that likely occurred in their homes.  As a coping mechanism, these boys felt a need to protect themselves from the macro and microsystems that failed them, united and banded together by a multitude of adverse childhood experiences and undiagnosed mental health issues.

I am neither blaming nor justifying their actions. I am also not blaming or justifying my son’s actions, just as I wouldn’t blame a woman for being assaulted simply because she chose to walk home alone at night. Unchecked implicit biases might be at the root of violence—choices made from this level of unconsciousness fuel vehemence and hatred.

Who is to blame? Can I blame anyone?

Is it my son’s fault for not choosing to stay indoors after 10 pm?  Should I blame solely the masked hooligans who robbed and beat him? It would be much easier to blame these kids, but on a fundamental level, is it true? If I am judging anything, it’s the sociopolitical systems we are forced to live by. These structures, while the intentions are positive, unfortunately have detrimental negative impacts by keeping people trapped in low-income opportunity states. Racism is a pathway to violence, and at-risk individuals tend to fall through the cracks, becoming victims of systemic racism, discrimination, and biases. With this understanding, is it really that hard to see where aggression comes from? These structures are failing the people who are most in need of them, creating dysfunction at both the macro and micro levels. And everyone is impacted on a global scale.

Is there something that we can do to lower the rate of gang-related violence?

Solution- stronger policies supporting more funding for schools, and especially effective implementation of screening/intervention tools and strategies. These screening tools can assess neglect in the home, child abuse, sexual abuse, racism, trauma, bullying, poor educational outcomes, learning deficiencies, personality disorders, learning disabilities, poverty, historical and generational trauma, and potential barriers to receiving medical or mental health support and treatment. Knowledge is power, and with accurate, relevant data from screenings, outreach, resource distribution, and education, as well as stronger policies surrounding government-funded programs and medical interventions, we can mitigate the impact of ACEs on younger generations. We have interventions in place for at-risk individuals; the question is whether they can access the help. It takes a generation to affect lasting social change. It starts with investing in our children and our school systems.

I think about my son, knowing he was simply a target of a hate crime. My son wasn’t out looking for trouble. His volition was to do as much good and see as much good as he could in the world. He would make light of the numerous stories he would tell me about the drug addicts that frequented the grocery store he worked at on Capitol Hill, always with an air of humor in his tone. I know his making light of the situation was to mask a deep sadness and frustration at the ever-increasing number of fentanyl dependent homeless persons and drug addicts that populate Capitol Hill. 

Failing at-risk population groups results in systemic suffering. What I mean is that it’s impacting our youth and innocent bystanders who are simply trying to carry on and live without the constant reminder of the manifest dysfunction that plagues their daily lives.

 All that said, I want to leave you, dear listeners, with a question-

What would you do if this happened to your child? And what changes do you think need to be made to make the US a safer country to live in?

Thank you for reading.