💔 A tragic story out of Washington state has many questioning how easy it is for teens to get their hands on guns. A 15-year-old boy has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder after allegedly shooting his parents and three younger siblings on October 21. The victims included his siblings aged 7, 9, and 13. The only survivor was another sibling who is now fighting for their life.
Authorities revealed that the teen used his father's gun, which was kept in a lockbox. Shockingly, he was the only child who knew the code to access it. The community is reeling, and the next court date is set for January 8.
This heartbreaking incident isn't isolated. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., according to a recent report by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. 🎯 The ease with which young people can access firearms is alarming, and authorities are starting to hold parents accountable.
In Georgia, the father of a suspected shooter at Apalachee High School was charged for allowing his son to possess a weapon used in a school shooting. Similarly, parents in Michigan were convicted after their child carried out a mass shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.
Jennifer Dolan-Waldman, vice chair of Seattle-based Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, emphasized the gravity of the situation. \"The bottom line is kids should not have guns,\" she told USA Today.
📊 Statistics paint a grim picture. About 40% of young Americans say they have at least \"somewhat easy\" access to a gun, with 21% reporting it's \"very easy,\" according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Moreover, nearly 90% of homicides by teens aged 15 to 17 involved firearms in 2019.
It's clear that something needs to change. As communities grapple with these tragedies, the call for stricter gun control measures grows louder. 🔊 Will this be the tipping point that leads to real action?
Reference(s):
Concerns grow over teen gun access in U.S. after 15-year-old kills 5
cgtn.com
