Dear Editor, 

I wholeheartedly agree with your argument in the article. I think gun violence should be brought down to a minimum in this country; it is already embarrassing enough that we are known for having high gun aggression. While it is a positive thing that the use of guns have gone down due to COVID, it isn’t admirable. The fact that a pandemic had to come through and hit the world to stop gun violence is almost laughable. Guns shouldn’t be used in ways they are now; they should at most be used for hunting. The way you give statistics and describe all the horrible things that have become because of guns just heightens the idea that those weapons should not be available to the general public. In conclusion, your article provides a powerful and real outlook on gun violence that needed to be recognized. 

Ava N. ~ junior 

Dear Editor, 

I think that the correlation is completely unrelated to COVID itself. The problem has nothing to do with the virus and everything to do with people. Being stuck inside and having schools shut down isn’t normal, therefore I don’t think it’s right to compare the shootings now to the shootings during COVID. I think the problem is making sure that those people get help and try our best to keep their hands off firearms. I think that people should be able to have guns in their homes and cars if they have a license and are doing it legally. However, I think that there should be a more intense background check before handing out firearms. On the other hand, if someone has their mind set on a mass shooting, they are going to find a gun whether they pass the background check or not. It’s a very tricky situation and I think it starts with making sure kids are being treated correctly and are in a safe environment growing up. People aren’t born serial killers and I think that’s important to understand. 

Wilamina H. ~ sophomore 

Dear Editor, 

I agree that during the prime of COVID pandemic there was a decrease in mass shootings, mainly because places like schools were not open. Now that America is starting to open up again, however, there has been an increase in mass shootings. Countless examples of this make it hard to disprove correlation. The United States started to reopen in mid March of 2021 and that’s when there was an increase in mass shootings, such as when “a gunman entered an Asian spa and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian American”. The amount of mass shootings in many areas have almost doubled since the reopening of public places. This rise in gun violence is a prime example of why we need to put more of a focus on mental health Many were left feeling alone during the pandemic which has led to worsened mental health. Over all, this article demonstrated the correlation between lifted COVID restrictions and gun violence very well. 

Kate H. ~ freshman 

Dear Editor, 

I believe that COVID restrictions have to be let up someday and that opening things again may lead to more shootings, but that we can’t live in a COVID world for much longer. I also believe that people who are the shooters are inhumane and even though COVID may have put them to a halt, that is not the only reason they stopped. It is a big issue and a huge devastation to all those who have been lost but we can’t live in fear everyday that something may happen. At some point restrictions will be gone and we will get to live normally again. 

Claire M. ~ sophomore