Mission Hills United Church of Christ (UCC) and Mission Hills United Methodist Church (UMC) hosted a Vigil for the Victims of Gun Violence on May 31 at Pioneer Park, Washington Pl, San Diego.
In the church’s Facebook post on June 1, they noted that they gathered together to grieve and respect the victims of gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde with prayers for peace. During the said event, they also offer music and poetry for healing. Each participant also committed to justice.
Tragic Loss
In less than two weeks, the NPR News Website reported that an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, were shattered by a tragic gunshot incident. The news added that these places were 1,700 miles apart but now share the devastating loss of friends and families.
The report said that these two incidents occurred on separate ends of the country yet have similarities. They are the same regarding how the gunmen carried out the violence, the characteristics of the suspects, and the ease with which they accessed the weapons.
They added that the killing in Uvalde, Texas, still has unclear specific motives in the shooter’s mind. But the gunman who killed ten members of the black community of Buffalo chose this area because of his white supremacist ideology, as noted on the news.
Moreover, the news mentioned that though the reasons in these cases likely differ, the suspects have a lot in common, James Densley and Jillian Peterson, co-founders of The Violence Project, said in an interview. Their organization studies gun violence, mass shootings, and extremism.
Densley, a sociologist, said, “Usually what’s motivating these shootings is an element of self-hatred, hopelessness, despair, anger, that’s turned outward to the world.”
Suspects Both 18
The same news website revealed that both the male shooters were 18 years old. They said the officials reported that Salvador Ramos was an 18-year-old high school dropout. At the same time, Payton Gendron is also 18 and white. ‘
Densely and Paterson mentioned that they see two factors of age clusters of mass shooters. These are mid-40s men who are shooters in the workplace and school—also, those other shootings are between the ages of 15 and 24.
Paterson noted that they know that 18 is a fragile age, where individuals tend to have mental health crises. During this period, they may also feel suicidal, she added. The suspects want to feel that pain and show their anger to the world. Paterson noted that they do this because they want people to watch and witness their rage. They want to hear their names and see their images. She mentioned that it is a public performance that is meant for the public to see.
Moreover, the website revealed that in many areas in America, 18 is the age at which they can legally buy the weapons of their choice. They added that both guns used in the incidents were found to be lawfully purchased.
Densely noted that this happens because shooters imitate each other, and these guns have become their chosen weapons.
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