Last year, there were 32 school shootings in the United States, resulting in 21 deaths and 42 injuries. In September, in the city of Winder Georgia, a 14-year-old student killed two students and two teachers using an AR-15 assault type of rifle that fires .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm NATO ammo.

As a United States citizen, I believe in the U.S. Constitution and its Second Amendment, which is the right to keep and bear arms. Statistically, however, in the United States, there are 120 guns for every 100 citizens, making it, the only nation that has more guns than people. Since 2020, in the United States, the leading cause of death for children and teens has been gun violence; in 2023, gun violence claimed over 46,000 civilian lives. That’s 26x higher than other high-income nations, surpassing total deaths from auto accidents in 2023. Countries like Korea, Japan, and Singapore had almost no gun violence.

In Korea, only the police and military are permitted to carry firearms. Although citizens can acquire a gun permit for game hunting the general public cannot own firearms. With stricter regulation on guns, instances of mass violence are uncommon, most violent attacks are related to the use of knives.

Most male citizens in Korea serve a mandatory 18-month military service, where they are issued Daewoo K2 assault rifles that fire. 223 Remington or 5.56x45 NATO rounds the same ammo used in school shootings in Georgia. Though I’m not arguing for a complete ban on guns, stricter regulations should be enforced on the ownership of firearms to lessen the occurrence of mass shootings.

In Georgia, a person needs to be at least 18 years old to own a handgun, yet there are no age restrictions for rifles and shotguns. Several prospective mandates to prevent gun violence include raising age limits for gun ownership or implementing universal background checks. In the United States, you have to be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol. A 14-year-old can’t drink alcohol, yet they can carry a rifle. If alcohol can kill, it is obvious that guns also kill.

<Ellie Byun 11th Grade / Santiago HS 2026>