Last week's mass shooting at Michigan State University was a failure of existing firearms laws. It was a failure of the former Ingham County Prosecutor's soft on crime approach. It's a failure to adequately monitor potentially violent parolees, particularly those with reported mental health issues. And once again, it's a failure of gun free zone laws that attract mass shootings by preventing victims from effective self-defense.
The increasing number of mass shootings are the result of complex factors in today's world rather than legal firearms ownership. Since the founding of our country, access to guns hasn't loosened -it's gotten tighter. But despite a proliferation in gun control laws across the United States and the world, the problem is getting worse.
This is not a uniquely American issue. Just two months ago, our neighbors in Ontario experienced a mass shooting with six dead. Australia also had a mass shooting this past December with three dead. Denmark's July 2022 Copenhagen Mall shooting left three dead and four critically injured. These recent examples also don't count the mass homicides that use other methods such as explosives and motor vehicles. The June 2021 London, Ontario truck attack left four dead. The April 2018 Toronto, Ontario van attack resulted in 11 fatalities.
Traditional gun control that focuses on the guns rather than criminals is opportunistic politics rather than effective public policy. The poor results of strict gun control laws in Chicago, California, and Canada have made that clear. However, there are policy answers that may offer solutions.
Last week, a 13-bill School Safety package was introduced in the Michigan Legislature. The legislation follows recommendations from the House's Bipartisan School Safety Task Force formed after last year's mass shooting at Oxford. It established uniform practices to address mental health and improve school security.
Community Violence Intervention strategies being promoted by the United States Department of Justice focus on partnerships between law enforcement, community social services, and non-profits to intervene in the lives of those most at risk of engaging in violent crime. Detroit is a pilot city for this new program.
Additional laws making it increasingly difficult for law abiding gun owners to own and carry firearms for self-defense are not going to lead to fewer homicides. Like gun free zones, gun control policies only empower criminals. However, new policy approaches that focus on mental health and which seek to prevent violent crime by addressing and interrupting the root causes of violence could prove effective in stopping mass shootings.
