One more incident of Shooting in a crowded place has taken place in downtown Little Rock in Arkansas – this time it was in a nightclub, and it left more than two dozen injured. The incident occurred early in the morning, and it seems it was the result of a dispute among club-goers. The club has been shut down, and its alcohol license has also been suspended.
Mark Stodola, the Mayor of the town has confirmed the incident and has indicated that most of the injured suffered gunshot wounds and are expected to survive. Little Rock police are not treating this as an act of terrorism.
What actually happened?
Sky News reports that the incident happened during a show by a performer from Memphis, Tennessee and one of its online posters showed a man pointing a firearm at the camera. The sign can be labeled as provocative. It was during the concert that gunfire suddenly broke out and dozens of shots fired in quick succession within a period of around ten seconds. This would indicate that there were a number of guns in use simultaneously.
Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner is of the opinion that said there was more than one suspect and it could have been a fallout of differences between individuals. Little Rock has witnessed several drive-by shootings in the recent past, and it highlights the fact that there has been an increase in the number of gun related incidents.
In the month of May, one person was killed and six injured in a mass shooting at a concert in Jonestown, Arkansas, and two men have been charged with murder.
Evils of gun violence
Firearms are easily available in America because the constitution guarantees the right to own a gun for personal safety. However, instances of misuse of that right is on the rise and is becoming a matter of concern.
There have been accidental deaths from firearms and even intentional ones where children were involved. During the regime of President Barack Obama, there were efforts to introduce background checks of would-be buyers, but it failed to clear the hurdles and was shelved.
There must be a realization that easy accessibility to firearms is an invitation for violence as has been reported from the shooting in a nightclub in Little Rock and deterrents are necessary to curb misuse.
Then only will it be possible to contain the increase in gun related violence and check crimes of this nature. Guns should be in possession of responsible persons, and the owner must ensure it is secure at all times so that it is not readily accessible to others. The gun is meant for personal safety, and it should not be converted into a weapon of death as has been done in Arkansas.
