Image at right: The AR-15 rifle, a lightweight metal-and-plastic design first developed in the late 1950s by an ex-Marine. It has gone on to become America's most popular rifle.
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Background information
Gun laws vary across states
Gun laws in the United States regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition. State laws (and the laws of the District of Columbia and of the U.S. territories) vary considerably and are independent of existing federal firearms laws.
Forty-four states have a provision in their state constitutions like the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects citiizens' right to keep and bear arms. The exceptions are California, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York. In New York, however, the statutory civil rights laws contain a provision virtually identical to the Second Amendment.
School shootings are increasing in the United States
The attack at Robb Elementary School was the 137th school shooting to take place in the United States so far this year. In 2021, there were 249 school shootings - the worst year on record.
In general, school shooters tend to be current or former students at the school they attack. And they are 'almost always' in a crisis of some sort prior to the incident, as evidenced by changes in their behaviour. Suspects are also often inspired by other school shooters, which could go some way in explaining the rapid growth in such attacks in recent years.
Gun ownership is increasing in the United States
Current data shows an increasing number of guns being bought by Americans. This includes an increasing number of Americans becoming first-time gun owners.
The COVID pandemic appears to have prompted an increase in gun ownership in the United States. Between January 2020 and April 30, 2021, 5.1 million Americans bought their first guns, following 2.4 million who did so in 2019. In 2019, 2.4 million Americans became new gun owners - a figure that swelled to 3.8 million in 2020.
This increase in first gun ownership within American families has concerned some commentators as school shooters typically acquire the weapons they use within their homes.
The major reforms proposed by gun control advocates
Gun control advocates have outlined the principal reforms they believe would reduce gun-related injuries, deaths, and crime in the United States.
These policies include
* mandating background checks for all gun purchases, including those overseen by unlicensed sellers online or at gun shows
* enforcing a waiting period after someone buys a firearm before they can take possession of their weapon
* expanding the restrictions on people who can legally acquire guns to exclude abusive dating partners, those convicted of hate crimes and people with mental illness who pose a safety risk.
* introducing extreme risk protection orders, a court order issued when a person may become dangerous to themselves or others when in possession of a gun
* imposing restrictions on handgun ownership
* imposing restrictions on assault weapons
Some gun control advocates have also proposed prohibiting gun purchases by people under 21, which may have prevented the 18-year-old shooter in Uvalde from acquiring his weapons.
Do Americans support stricter gun laws?
There is broad support in the United States for certain policies proposed by gun-control advocates. According to a Morning Consult/Politico survey taken in 2021, 84 percent of American voters support universal background checks for gun purchasers.
Opinions are more varied when Americans are asked about their thoughts on stricter gun laws in general. A November 2021 poll conducted by Gallup found that 52 percent of Americans support stricter gun control, which marked the lowest rating on the question since 2014. Support for a ban on handguns also hit a new low in 2021, with just 19 percent of Americans telling Gallup that they would be in favor of such a policy.
Gun laws are a party-political issue
Gun control laws are a largely party-political issue in the United States with the Republicans almost universally in favour of Americans having free or largely unrestricted access to firearms and Democrats supporting a range of restrictions being applied.
This means that most Republican controlled states have more lax gun control legislation. It also means that Republicans can use their numbers in the United States Senate to block Democrat sponsored federal bills that seek to increase gun controls.