5 years after Las Vegas mass shooting, gun violence is never-ending in US

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - As the US remembers the deadliest mass shooting in the nation’s modern history, where 58 people were gunned down by a disgruntled shooter, the bleeding wound persists of gun violence in America.

On Oct. 1, 2017, a 64-year-old gunman went on a 15-minute rampage from his 32nd-floor hotel room, shooting at thousands of terrorized concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fifty-eight people died and more than 850 were injured. By the time police stormed the gunman's room he had committed suicide.

In the past five years, the US has continued to see similar high-profile incidents make headlines although mass shootings make up a tiny fraction of gun deaths in the US.

"Mass shootings involve 0.2% of all firearm injuries," said Dr. Sandra McKay, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and nonresident fellow for Firearms Injury Prevention and Safety at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

McKay told Anadolu Agency via email that of the more than 45,000 people who die annually from firearms injuries, 54% are from suicides and 43% from homicides, although she said mass shootings have risen over the years.

"In the US there appears to be a slight upward trend in the last 4 decades, with an incidence of 1 per 50 million," according to McKay, who emphasized that mass shootings get the attention of the public because they "make the most headlines due to their very public and tragic natures."

Below is a list of the deadliest mass shootings in the US in the past 10 years.

- Pulse Nightclub

Before Las Vegas, the deadliest mass shooting in the US since records were kept in 1949 occurred at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016.

A 29-year-old gunman massacred 49 people and wounded at least 50 others before police killed him.

Until the Vegas shooting, it was the deadliest terror act in the US since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

- Sandy Hook Elementary School

On Dec. 14, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman went on a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut murdering 20 students and six teachers.

He also killed his mother before carrying out his deadly assault at the school.

The shooter killed himself as police arrived at the scene.

That shooting made school districts take a long, hard look at the problem of mass shootings in the US.

"After Sandy Hook, organizations and schools challenged themselves to prioritize school safety in response to mass shootings," said McKay. "Active shooter drills, school safety officers, single point entry, and other modifications became more standards of schools rather than exceptions."

- Sutherland Springs Church

A 26-year-old gunman committed the deadliest mass shooting in the state of Texas on Nov. 5, 2017. when he went on a rampage at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

A total of 26 people died, including an unborn child, and 22 were wounded before the shooter killed himself.

- El Paso Walmart

On Aug. 3, 2019, a 21-year-old gunman shot up a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas.

In addition to killing 23 people, he injured 23 others.

The shooter was arrested and charged with capital murder, the state's only offense punishable by death.

- Robb Elementary School

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas killing 19 students and two teachers on May 24.

Police killed the shooter but not until waiting for more than one hour to enter the classroom where he had already gone on his murderous rampage.

In response to the Uvalde mass shooting, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 with hopes of preventing future tragedies.

"It creates enhanced background checks for people aged 18-21 years, added significant funding for school security and mental health, including suicide prevention," said McKay.

The law also bans "straw purchasing," which is the unlawful purchase of a firearm for someone who cannot legally purchase one, and it closes the “boyfriend loophole,” meaning if a person has been convicted of domestic violence or has a domestic violence restraining order, that person cannot purchase a firearm.

- Stoneman Douglas High School

On Feb. 14, 2018, a 19-year-old shooter opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Seventeen people were murdered and 17 were injured.

The gunman, who was a former student at the school, is awaiting sentencing to see if he receives the death penalty or life in prison.

- California Christmas Party

A married couple carried out a mass shooting and attempted bombing during a Christmas Party at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.

Fourteen people were murdered and 22 others were wounded.

Police killed the couple in a shootout.

- Century 16 Movie Theater

On July 20, 2012, a 24-year-old gunman went on a shooting spree inside a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Twelve were gunned down and 70 injured.

The shooter was sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences after being spared the death penalty.

- Tops Supermarket

An 18-year-old gunman went on a shooting rampage at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

Ten Blacks were killed on May 14 in the racially-motivated killings.