Here we go again…
An argument between two men sparked the gunfire, authorities say. One of the men was wounded. The gunman apparently accidentally shot himself in the hip. A college maintenance worker, described as a innocent bystander, was also wounded in the shooting.
Here’s what we know so far:
- A handgun was used
- This college has a “no guns on campus” rule
- This college has armed security
- The college offers gun safety training through its Second Amendment Academy
- Texas does have laws pertaining to concealed handguns
- Mandatory gun safety training is part of a Texas handgun permit
My armchair analysis:
We don’t know if the gun was legally obtained or not. If the shooter legally obtained the gun we don’t know if he took the mandatory handgun training. We also do not know if the shooter has mental health issues. So far it sounds like a crime of passion with a weapon of convenience. Regardless, Texas and this particular college, had in place a lot of the things that reasonable Democrats and Republicans are asking for.
The only thing missing from the equation is trying to address the ridiculous proliferation of firearms that are available on U.S. streets. Due to states’ rights, that’s something that only the federal government could take on.
For the international readers: It’s a mess and there is no consistency. Even if a state or city has tough gun laws, the criminals figure out how to purchase weapons in states or cities with lax laws.
My opinion: We need tougher federal laws but for that to happen our mess of a Congress would actually have to cooperate.
Good luck with that.
-BCP
Hi Bob; I’m enjoying your blogs on gun violence in the US. Some areas sound quite scary. I guess you need body armor and an arsenal of weapons to ensure your safety. Forget about the campaign on terrorism. Isn’t gun violence from ordinary citizens.a bigger threat? What do I know, I guess. I’m up here in Canada where most of our violence takes place in hockey arenas.
Hi Randy,
Where that the case here!