In the wake of the recent school shooting tragedy in Perry, Iowa, which claimed one life and left five others injured, Vice President Harris spearheaded a critical discussion. This marks the first school shooting of 2024, reigniting the national debate on gun control and safety in America, with a key focus on mental health support.
Joining VP Harris at the roundtable was U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Mayor of Charlotte Vi Lyles, Eastway Middle School Counselor Corteasia Riddick, and local student Malachi Thompson.
Addressing Mental Health Crisis in Schools
Vice President Harris announced the allocation of $285 million to hire and train mental health professionals in schools. There is growing concern over the state of mental health in students across the country. Depression and anxiety rates in adolescents have increased in recent years. These issues can be further exacerbated in individuals with trauma relating to gun violence.
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Firearm fatalities have increased 87% over the last decade and have replaced car accidents as the number one cause of child deaths in the U.S. 1 in 5 Americans has lost a family member due to gun violence.
National Actions for Gun Control
One month after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which took the lives of 19 children and 3 adults, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It has established some of the most significant gun safety protocols in the last three decades. The Act has increased background checks for those under 21 who wish to purchase a firearm, prevented convicted domestic abusers from purchasing a gun, funded community violence intervention programs, and established federal laws against gun trafficking.
Several U.S. representatives and senators have called for a ban on assault weapons. Senator Angus King, I-Maine, proposed legislation in November that would limit the number of rounds a gun could carry. In Jan. 2023, Illinois successfully banned semiautomatic weapons, and despite appeals from gun-rights groups, the law still stands.