In yet another incident of gun violence, a gunman killed four students at a high school in Michigan. The dead were teenagers. Apart from the dead, eight others suffered injuries. One of them was a teacher.
Police have identified the suspect as a 15-year-old boy who fired 15 to 20 shots. He used a semi-automatic handgun and did not have an accomplice. His motives are unclear. The tragedy happened in the town of Oxford and left the students traumatized.
The officials received 100 calls to 911 and arrived at the scene within minutes. The suspect was a second-year male student.
He surrendered soon after the police came. There were no shots fired during the arrest, and the suspect was not injured. In April, an incident of gun violence took eight lives in Indianapolis.
Schools continue to be the target of gun violence
A police officer stationed at the school revealed that the suspect was in class before the shooting. He surrendered without any problems. The authorities evacuated the school and carried out a full check of the campus to ensure no additional victims. Out of the injured, two were undergoing surgery, and the remaining six were in stable condition with gunshot wounds.
During a news conference, officials said the suspect was "not co-operating." His parents had apparently advised him to remain silent.
The police were searching his home and said he was not wearing body armor during the shooting.
Incidents of gun violence on the rise in the United States
A pro-gun control group reports that there is an upward trend in gun violence on U.S. school grounds. There was a decline last year during coronavirus lockdowns, but that was temporary.
The figures reveal 138 incidents of gunfire on school grounds so far in 2021.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer described the shooting as "horrific." Officials are aware of how the gun came into the premises. They are not willing to share the details.
President Joe Biden spoke about the incident during a visit to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He said: "My heart goes out to the families enduring the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one."
An 'epidemic of gun violence across America
Gun violence is spreading across the country, with at least 28 school shootings in 2021. The coronavirus pandemic had kept schools closed for much of 2020 and 2021. That might have interrupted the trend of school shootings over the last decade. In the opinion of experts, there is an increase in the number of gun violence.
The Gun Violence Archives maintains a record of mass shootings. They mention that the latest shooting is the 651st incident this year in which at least four people were shot, whether fatally or not.
Guns are easily available in America and can be dangerous when they fall into the wrong hands. Hence, there have to be strict background checks for those who purchase them.
