The tragedy in Bakersfield, California, on Wednesday, was yet another incident of a gunman going on a killing spree. He shot dead five people including his wife before turning the weapon on himself. During a press conference, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood has indicated that investigation is on and it does not appear to be a case of a random shooting. “We’re trying to find the connection,” is how he has put it.

Vox reports that the gunman was believed to have been upset over something. The initial information is that he and his wife had some altercation with another individual.

The suspect finally lost his cool and shot his wife and the man, carjacked a vehicle and drove on to a highway.

When confronted by the Law, he killed himself. Sheriff Youngblood has summed up the events by saying that “six people lost their lives in a very short amount of time. This is the new normal.”

Gun violence in the US appears to be unstoppable

The shooting in Bakersfield, California has once again brought into focus the need for strong gun control that will act as a deterrent. The current incident falls in the category of mass shooting and 2018 has witnessed more than 250 such incidents.

This has been revealed by an authentic source like the Gun Violence Archives.

There have been several tragedies of gun violence in the past in schools, and in venues of music festivals and people have died. Survivors of such violence have been left traumatized and many of them have taken to the streets to highlight the issue.

The administration must realize the importance of having in place strict gun control measures to ensure that these weapons do not fall into wrong hands. However, Americans appear to have become immune to such attacks.

What prompted the tragedy?

According to BBC, the gun violence in Bakersfield, California could have been a result of incompatible personal relationships.

The police have identified the gunman as well as his victims. The gunman was in his 50s and he killed five people before turning the gun on himself. He first killed his wife and two others in a trucking business in the city.

Subsequently, he drove to a home where he killed two more people. He has three children and is involved in divorce proceedings. Initial investigations point to possibilities of a domestic violence.

However, it is too early to say whether it was premeditated murder or an on-the-spur-of-the-moment action. Whatever it be, the fact remains that people today are always on the edge and can react to situations in the most unpredictable manner.
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