On Nov. 23, as Christian Brothers College junior Colin Brown and his father drove home from a hockey game on Interstate 55, a stray bullet hit and killed Brown. Brown’s tragic death sent shockwaves of sorrow across hockey and high school communities. Now, as we honor the life and legacy of Brown, we are forced to remember the power that guns hold. 

Most gun owners say they use a gun for protection, but having a gun at home increases the risk of suicides, domestic violence, accidents and death, so truly, gun owners are depriving themselves of the safety they seek. In fact, studies show firearm violence contributed to an average of one death per 11 minutes in 2022. That is a total of 48,204 lives lost to guns in just one year. It’s more than a statistic. It’s real people that we will never see or hear from again — just because someone decided to pull the trigger.

“[Brown] was driving home from a [hockey] game and he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” junior and hockey player Blake Ernst said. “I’ve had teammates who knew him and he was a great person. I’m glad that the hockey community around St. Louis came together for his death.”

Brown’s inadvertent killing occurred on a highway, an event that is rather unheard of. While his case was not connected to road rage, incidents of road rage involving firearms have become more common, resulting in over 365 deaths or injuries in 2023. 

Law enforcement is currently holding Brown’s killer for first-degree murder, but the investigation is unclear regarding the initial conflict that resulted in the firing of the fatal bullet. While the general public and police focus on the investigation, Brown’s case highlights a deeper concern: guns are present and pervasive in our communities, even just down I-55, taking lives without warning. Brown’s case serves as a caution for what is to come if the government continues to withhold effective gun regulation. Addressing the issue begins with a thorough examination of the root causes of gun violence and the evaluation of practical solutions to put an end to the proliferation. 

Gun violence in communities

Community gun violence distinguishes race as a statistical separating factor. In fact, black Americans are affected by community gun violence at a rate 14 times higher than their white peers, due to historical cycles of violence with a lack of resources to support victims of disinvested neighborhoods. Brown’s killer, in particular, has been attached to other crimes, which shows potential for links to community gun violence. Furthermore, the case brings attention to other communities, both in St. Louis and transcontinentally, who have experienced such violence without the proper means to deal with it. 

To close this gap, communities and lawmakers must consider practical solutions. Violence-interrupting programs, like Cure Violence, offer a promising approach. These initiatives target disadvantaged communities, improving safety by analyzing and mediating conflict while promoting anti-violence messages through outreach efforts. In the past, Cure, in particular, has been successful in suppressing violence within disproportionately affected communities. In 2023, their program managed to reduce killings by 32% within Baltimore, Md. and their impact spreads across other cities too. 

“Gun violence devastates communities. When [people] say ‘it could happen to someone else, but not us,’ they should not be so closed-minded. It could happen anywhere,” social studies teacher Nancy Sachtleben said.

Gun violence in schools

Moreover, gun violence in schools is especially prominent, as more than three million students in the U.S. either witness or are harmed by school shootings each year. Though Brown wasn’t in school when he was hit by a bullet, he was put in a similar situation to many others who have lost their lives to a school shooting. He couldn’t have anticipated what was coming to him and neither could students who show up at school, expecting to learn and have a normal day, only to be the victims of unnecessary attacks. 

“I should not have to feel, as someone who’s 16 years old, that I’m going to die in my school,” sophomore Malia McLellan said. “It’s very easy to sneak a weapon into the school and it shouldn’t have to be. There need to be changes in law-making.”

The list of schools that have experienced a school shooting grows on and on; our school could easily be added to it, making it our responsibility to protect ourselves by increasing restrictions and truly being responsible with guns. We, the public, can lobby and urge for legislation to be passed, but lawmakers across the board have the true power to make a significant change through the introduction of new bills and resolutions.

Controlling the proliferation of guns

One of the reasons guns are abused and often put into the wrong hands is because there are so few restrictions on who can get access to them. Background checks are only performed when customers try to purchase a gun in stores. This makes it extremely easy to get hold of a gun at a gun show or from a relative. Even when a background check is performed, it only takes a few minutes and giving a social security number is optional. Giving proof of identity, with an SSN, should be absolutely mandatory, considering background checks should be a comprehensive assessment of all individuals. 

According to the FBI, out of the 300 million checks since 1998, only 1.5 million denials have been issued. This is less than one percent of people. This low percentage reflects individuals’ ability to thwart background checks. The process of getting a hold of a gun must be improved through legislation to truly ensure safety and security at schools and on roads. 

When working against gun violence, we must be aware of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which are extremely dangerous and pose a significant threat. Assault rifles, typically used in mass shootings, inflict much greater damage to the human body than a handgun. Additionally, high-capacity magazines can hold more ammunition than an average magazine. In the past, a federal prohibition on these weapons has shown a significant decrease in public mass shootings. A modern-day AR-15, which shoots about 45 rounds a minute, was likely the weapon that killed Brown, forever haunting hundreds across St. Louis. The longer we wait to do something about these rifles, the more lives we are leaving on the table. The government must seek to enact further legislation that restricts access to assault rifles.

“Certain types of guns being out in the public, like military-grade weapons or anything used in war, shouldn’t be given to people in our country,” Ernst said. “The main problem with St. Louis is that there are too many people that aren’t getting identified and going through a thorough check process for firearms. That’s the main reason why cases like [Brown’s death] happen, which is very sad.”

Background checks should also be further expanded to include a thorough mental health evaluation for potential gun buyers. According to recent epidemiology studies conducted by the National Library of Medicine, poor mental health is associated with over half of firearm-related suicides, a staggering statistic that speaks to the emotional reverberations of gun violence. 

“Basic mental health checks would help a lot because there are people that will admit that they’re in over their head when they’re purchasing a gun or they’ll brag about what they’re going to do with a gun,” McLellan said.

Currently, if someone has been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or if they have been deemed mentally incompetent by a court or the government, they can be banned from purchasing a firearm. However, for those who do not experience either of these extremes, mental health can still influence the way a gun owner handles their weapon. The federal law should be extended to include full mental health reports for potential gun buyers.

Guns may continue to proliferate throughout the nation, but we can make sure that guns are in the right hands. Background checks and mental health checks have the potential to make a difference, as do violence intervention programs. Even more impactful, however, is you. Making sure to be observant and alert of your surroundings can make a huge impact because you never know who will choose to use a gun and when. No matter how big the threat is, alerting authorities before the conflict begins can allow the police more time to react, resulting in less violent damage. 

The shocking news of Brown’s death should not be ignored as just random — it should be a warning to others that guns can be anywhere and people aren’t afraid to use them. To stop more young lives from being taken, it is important to take a stand, urging for background checks and thorough mental health checks for potential gun owners. 

“Some people think that they can just respond to [conflict] with a gun, but they don’t understand the consequences associated with it. They’re not only destroying their life, but they’re destroying the people who they shoot, that person’s life and their families,” Sachtleben said. “Be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on. If you see something that’s out of the ordinary, then you need to speak up. Nothing is too little because you never know [what could happen].”