School shootings in America (and a wee bit help with homework!)

[Rajin Cajun]

I have been assigned by my dear English teacher to scribble down an essay about (You guessed it...) School shootings in America.

We've been assaulted with numerous movies and articles about how America is the violent shizzle. But I'd personally like it if I head the opinions from the average, yet quite intelligent, schmoes from The Escapist.

Basically, my assignment goes like this:
"Write a report in which you describe and discuss school shootings in America. Why are American schools especially in the danger zone when it comes to being attacked with guns by crazy or angry students?"

What do you think?
Discuss, and give me some opinions. =)

We need a lot more school shootings. Only after thousands of children have died in schools will we learn to stop bullying, peer-pressure, and parents not actually caring for their kids. It sounds harsh, but most Americans only learn from their own mistakes and will second guess anyone trying to give them advice or help in raising their children.

You sir are a genius. This is also why I say the World is overdue for another World War...the world is getting far too stupid and we need to cull the Gene Pool and quickly.

 

[GothmogII]

It's because of idiots who keep their bullets in the same place as their guns. (except for the one in the nightstand, under the kitchen table, and by the front door.)

That's one small apartment.

I once spoke with my uncle about breakups vis-a-vis mono. He said that it usually crops up in young people and that young people are the ones most likely to break up at any given time. If not for the (lack of) self control and amount hormones I'm sure we'd have lower violent crime stats.

Maybe so...but no-one ever just cracks. That is...although there's plenty of stories about people just snapping and getting all shooty, it's usually something that's been building up in their heads over a long period of time and not a spur of the moment event.

I'd like to see some numbers on that. However hormonal stress can contribute to a break either at a moments notice or after that 'building up' period. 'The Final Straw', etc.

Damn...I hate work. Fine, I'll go look. *grumbleshumblemumble*

 

[Necrophagist]

FAIL! Gun control does little to curb gun violence - indeed, it creates a trend of not more gun violence, but more of it resulting in fatalities. Look up the numbers - gun control doesn't work.

EPIC FAIL

let's look at some crime statistics shall we?

first united states, which has very little gun control

Murders 16,204 [2nd of 49]
Murders with firearms 9,369 [1st of 36]

and the murder rate for united states

#24 United States: 0.042802 per 1,000 people

btw that number is the rank they have for murders in the world

second is canada, which has strict gun control

Murders 523 [15th of 49]
Murders with firearms 144 [9th of 36]

and canada's murder rate
#44 Canada: 0.0149063 per 1,000 people

oh but you say "canada has less ppl in it, ok let's look at the united kingdom, which also has strict gun laws

Murders 1,201 [7th of 49]
Murders with firearms 14 [29th of 36]

the uk's murder rate

#46 United Kingdom: 0.0140633 per 1,000 people


hey wow those numbers are going down aren't they? why yes they are

now for further proof let's look at japan, which also has lots of ppl AND strict gun control

Murders 637 [22nd of 49]
Murders with firearms 47 [20th of 36]

and finally japan's murder rate

#60 Japan: 0.00499933 per 1,000 people


wow as gun control got more strict the amount of murders actually went down.

here's also the amount of murders by firearm
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-crime-murders-with-firearms


here's a nice link, where i got my stats from, they come from 2002 HOWEVER the

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita


ok and even further proof of you being wrong, from the wikipedia article on murder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder#Demographics

Gun control advocates further point out that, unlike the United States, many European countries disallow gun ownership by private citizens but Switzerland has the least restrictive firearm laws and corresponding higher gun murder deaths. Canada introduced a comprehensive Firearms Certificate program in 1977, which was followed by a sharp decline in its homicide rate (and its firearm homicide rate) however firearm homicide rates have crept back up to pre-1977 levels by 2005 even though the overall rate remains less. Overall, the global pattern is too complex and, on average, the influence of both these factors may not be significant and could be more social, economic and cultural.

see notice that? it says as gun control gets more strict there are less deaths by guns and there's TONS of crime stats to back it up

here's even more from statistics canada
http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/legal01-eng.htm

Homicides 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

All methods 549 624 663 606 594
Shooting 161 173 223 190 188
Stabbing 142 205 198 210 190
Beating 121 137 144 119 116
Strangulation 65 63 47 48 50
Fire 12 13 10 12 4
Other methods 26 20 26 14 19
Not known 22 13 15 13 27

so next time you want to try and spread some nra bs fud by saying gun control does not reduce murder and other gun related violence, please do so, i'll go cull even more crime stats to prove how wrong you are

Okay, I've read over this a few times now and I fail to see how your data proves your point about gun control. there seems to be a correlation of murders to shooting murders that's pretty consistent across the board - in nearly every country, year to year, there is a roughly 1:4.5 ratio of homicide to shooting homicide. So what does this mean? It means nothing, NOTHING to the debate of gun control. You also fail to mention the US's gun homicide rate as you did with Canada. It seems you've cherry-picked your data, then used in ineffectively. This also leads me to believe you have no idea what you're talking about.

This data has little influence on my opinion on gun control. You have failed to provide compelling evidence about the effectiveness of the policy, and so in response to your EPIC FAIL, I issue a FAIL-TALITY. FINISH HIM!

 

[Necrophagist]

PS quoting wikipedia constitutes a FAIL-ZILLA.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Okay, I've read over this a few times now and I fail to see how your data proves your point about gun control. there seems to be a correlation of murders to shooting murders that's pretty consistent across the board - in nearly every country, year to year, there is a roughly 1:4.5 ratio of homicide to shooting homicide. So what does this mean? It means nothing, NOTHING to the debate of gun control. You also fail to mention the US's gun homicide rate as you did with Canada. It seems you've cherry-picked your data, then used in ineffectively. This also leads me to believe you have no idea what you're talking about.

sure it does, the more gun control you have, the less death by guns

i haven't cherry picked the stats, i used 4 countries i mentioned, i could happy grab tons more and show how wrong you are

This data has little influence on my opinion on gun control. You have failed to provide compelling evidence about the effectiveness of the policy, and so in response to your EPIC FAIL, I issue a FAIL-TALITY. FINISH HIM!

yeah sorry that actual crime stats based on what the police find isn't convincing enough for you, the stats on gun control prove it's going down

notice Statscan's murder stats, for the past several years there has been more ppl stabbed to death in canada than shot. i'd have to say that gun control DOES work

you still gotta PROVE me wrong, i've offered some great stats showing how america, which has less restrictive gun laws actually has higher amounts of gun related deaths compared to 3 other countries with overly restrictive gun laws

PS quoting wikipedia constitutes a FAIL-ZILLA.

yeah cause i proved you wrong, poor poor you. especially since you have nothing to prove me wrong besides sticking your fingers in your ears and saying "LALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU. YOU ARE WRONG, I'M NOT LISTENING LALALALALALALA"

when you have some actual proof, that there isn't a correlation, please come back and try and retort me until then, sit down shut and up and have some cake

 

[Tiror]

Lets break it down:
"Why are American schools especially in the danger zone when it comes to being attacked with guns by crazy or angry students"

"Why american schools?"

"why are schools a danger zone?"

"Why are they a danger zone for violence?"

"Why are guns used for violence"

"Why is violence used by crazy or angry students"

You now have your outline, do a couple paragraphs on each, grab a point or two from each paragraph and use it to make your conclusion.

My thoughts?

"Why american schools?"
They are more populated and more diverse in student backgrounds, making any situation more likely to occur.
"why are schools a danger zone?"
Schools are a proving ground for people growing into maturity. Risks are taken that would not usually be taken for popularity, and this has an influence on the wellbeing of the student. The more risk you take, the better you look, the more praise you get.
"Why are they a danger zone for violence?"
Angsty teen 1 vs angsty teen 2 = violence. Look at animalistic "young male" behaviour. Fighting to be the Alpha of the pack, challenges etc.
"Why are guns used for violence"
Crowd control. One bullet in the ceiling usually tells people you mean business. Cover the other angle too, non-gun related crowd control. To paraphrase Wanted: "I prefer knives. They never jam, they never run out of ammo and they don't make a sound."
"Why is violence used by crazy or angry students"
Oooh, I know this one... Same reason it's used by crazy or angry adults?

Hi, i'm a friend of Cucumber ( OP of this thread ), and i have gotten the exact same assignment as him. And i have eagerly read what i myself think are very well thought posts from many of you, but one in particular really made me wanna grab it. But i would of course never steal anything without permission, so i ask you, "Wordsmith", can i use the highlighted points of ur post in my essay ?

 

[Lord George]

I know a few people who would have happily at one point or another gone out, bought a gun and shot down anyone they could find at school, but they can't because its not easy to obtain one here in England, and even if someone chooses to go a little crazy with a knife they won't be able to do that much damage, before someone stops them. I am glad their are strict gun laws here and it seems obvious to everyone but Americans that if they don't allow kids easy access to guns then their kids will not be able to shoot everyone.

 

[Cucumber]

Hmm... Based on what I've read, the strict gun control lowers the gun-homicide, but does it lower the total, or does these former "gun-victims" die otherwise?

I'm going to look at some numbers now, what do you believe?

 

[Tread184]

I wish I could express my anger about control (in general) in words. I cannot at the moment. I'm a huge advocated of gun rights in America, and in other places around the world. I could go on to say all of the reasons why, but that would be pointless and boring for you all and unrelated to the thread. I just beg of you, don't blame the damn gun, blame the people that use them to hurt innocents and blame the B.S. that causes them to do so.

The massive amount of gun violence in America has almost NOTHING to do with gun control. It's a bunch of much, much deeper issues. The U.S. Culture and society is a little messed up. One reason could be that our society tells you tales of people becoming successful, in love, in society, financially, when that doesn't happen a lot in comparison to the rest of the country. So, people become disgruntled because of their lack of success and they do one of too things, go on a rampage or join a criminal organization to become successful that way.
Education (and probably the lack of any real defined ethics and even morals) is a huge issue in the U.S. because we don't get a lot of good education. Some neighborhoods are so poor and nobody has a job, so they resolve to crime, and that results in factional fighting, which has been going on for decades and is practically ingrained on the normality of these communities.
As far as school shootings go, these kids are outcasts/disgruntled students that feel like they failed in life, for some reason, or are angry and they take it out on the wrong people and they especially do it the wrong way. These kids try to send a message through their rampages and suicides that they cannot seem to do anyway else, unfortunately, the adults and politicians don't see it ever and they go off the deep end with their feel good talk and B.S. legislation. It's sad but just think about it, please.

 

[I III II X4]

Would anyone consider the possibility that perhaps people aren't as violent as we think we are? That perhaps media attention just makes us think we are worse than we really are?

Thank you!! 'Bout time somebody threw this into the discussion.

Keyword, people, sensationalism. Bad news sells, media glorifies the shootings, wack-jobs get the idea of how awesome it'd be to end their life like that, the cycle continues, it's perpetual motion.

 

[Tiror]

I wish I could express my anger about control (in general) in words. I cannot at the moment. I'm a huge advocated of gun rights in America, and in other places around the world. I could go on to say all of the reasons why, but that would be pointless and boring for you all and unrelated to the thread. I just beg of you, don't blame the damn gun, blame the people that use them to hurt innocents and blame the B.S. that causes them to do so.

The massive amount of gun violence in America has almost NOTHING to do with gun control. It's a bunch of much, much deeper issues. The U.S. Culture and society is a little messed up. One reason could be that our society tells you tales of people becoming successful, in love, in society, financially, when that doesn't happen a lot in comparison to the rest of the country. So, people become disgruntled because of their lack of success and they do one of too things, go on a rampage or join a criminal organization to become successful that way.
Education (and probably the lack of any real defined ethics and even morals) is a huge issue in the U.S. because we don't get a lot of good education. Some neighborhoods are so poor and nobody has a job, so they resolve to crime, and that results in factional fighting, which has been going on for decades and is practically ingrained on the normality of these communities.
As far as school shootings go, these kids are outcasts/disgruntled students that feel like they failed in life, for some reason, or are angry and they take it out on the wrong people and they especially do it the wrong way. These kids try to send a message through their rampages and suicides that they cannot seem to do anyway else, unfortunately, the adults and politicians don't see it ever and they go off the deep end with their feel good talk and B.S. legislation. It's sad but just think about it, please.

Did you read "cleverlymadeup"'s posts on how statistics proved that gun control laws and murders with guns were connected? As he had proof of his points, you on the other hand, merely say that everyone else is wrong without any proof ?

 

[santaandy]

I know a few people who would have happily at one point or another gone out, bought a gun and shot down anyone they could find at school, but they can't because its not easy to obtain one here in England, and even if someone chooses to go a little crazy with a knife they won't be able to do that much damage, before someone stops them. I am glad their are strict gun laws here and it seems obvious to everyone but Americans that if they don't allow kids easy access to guns then their kids will not be able to shoot everyone.

It seems oblivious to everyone who isn't American that people who want to commit crimes with guns won't go about acquiring them legally, so gun control isn't going to help.

Why aren't we trying to make better people? Why aren't we trying to eradicate the desire to murder? Why aren't we teaching our children to avoid using violence? This type of behavior is what kills people, not guns. We need less wackos, not less guns.

Did you read "cleverlymadeup"'s posts on how statistics proved that gun control laws and murders with guns were connected? As he had proof of his points, you on the other hand, merely say that everyone else is wrong without any proof ?

Do you realize that proof isn't always numbers or quotations? He pointed out quite excellently how our messed-up society is the problem, not guns. Why is everyone so insistent on ignoring the actual problem?

 

[wordsmith]

*brilliantly written essay outline*

Hi, i'm a friend of Cucumber ( OP of this thread ), and i have gotten the exact same assignment as him. And i have eagerly read what i myself think are very well thought posts from many of you, but one in particular really made me wanna grab it. But i would of course never steal anything without permission, so i ask you, "Wordsmith", can i use the highlighted points of ur post in my essay ?

Go ahead, although if you have a Sources list at the end, I wouldn't object to a small acknowledgement there. Do me a favour though, send me the essay to have a look at. PM me for my e-mail.

Edit:

Why aren't we trying to make better people? Why aren't we trying to eradicate the desire to murder? Why aren't we teaching our children to avoid using violence? This type of behavior is what kills people, not guns. We need less wackos, not less guns.

Indeed. "The gun is a tool. The mind is the weapon."

 

[Rajin Cajun]

*brilliantly written essay outline*

Hi, i'm a friend of Cucumber ( OP of this thread ), and i have gotten the exact same assignment as him. And i have eagerly read what i myself think are very well thought posts from many of you, but one in particular really made me wanna grab it. But i would of course never steal anything without permission, so i ask you, "Wordsmith", can i use the highlighted points of ur post in my essay ?

Go ahead, although if you have a Sources list at the end, I wouldn't object to a small acknowledgement there. Do me a favour though, send me the essay to have a look at. PM me for my e-mail.

Edit:

Why aren't we trying to make better people? Why aren't we trying to eradicate the desire to murder? Why aren't we teaching our children to avoid using violence? This type of behavior is what kills people, not guns. We need less wackos, not less guns.

Indeed. "The gun is a tool. The mind is the weapon."

Couldn't have said it better myself. People who are already emotionally disturbed will find any way to kill a person whether it be a steak knife or their bare hands and we can't go around banning those now can we? Well I guess you could but no hands would kind of suck.

 

[BubbleGumSnareDrum]

Pac-Man was where society started to go downhill. I mean look at the objectionable content;

Ghosts? That's the presence of The Occult.
Power pills? DRUGS.
And that crazy electronic music that drives kids into an insane frenzy?

No sir, no good can come of it.

No pills, no powder, man.

 

[DeusFps]

The us was founded on slavery and genocide. You can expect a few nutters to still be around.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

EPIC FAIL

let's look at some crime statistics shall we?

Actually, your statistics are EPIC FAIL.

Here are some of the gun laws for New Hampshire by way of the Brady Campaign:
http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.php?st=nh

Spoiler

ASSAULT WEAPONS
Are there limitations on assault weapons? No
New Hampshire - No state restriction on the sale or possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons. Assault weapons are as easy to buy as hunting rifles. Congress and President Bush allowed the federal assault weapons ban to sunset in 2004. See also: Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines


CHILD-SAFETY LOCKS
Must locking devices be sold with guns? No

No state requirement that guns be sold with child-safety locks that could prevent a tragic accident. Child-safety locks cost as little as $10 and could save lives if sold with firearms.

GUN DEALER REGULATIONS
Must gun dealers adhere to state licensing and/or oversight systems? Partial
New Hampshire - The state requires all firearm dealers to obtain a state license to sell firearms. No other regulations or conditions exist.

GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
Are background checks required at gun shows? No

No state requirement that a Brady criminal background check be done on people buying guns at gun shows if they are sold by "private" individuals or gun "collectors." Gun shows can operate on a "no questions asked, cash-and-carry" basis, making it easy for criminals and even juveniles to buy as many guns as they want at gun shows, including assault weapons. No records are required to be kept on gun show sales by private individuals or gun collectors, making it almost impossible for police to trace such weapons if they are used in a crime.


JUVENILE SALE
Is it illegal to sell handguns to anyone under 21 years of age? No

State law does not restrict selling handguns to juveniles under the age of 21 by unlicensed sellers. Under federal law, only federally licensed dealers are prohibited from selling or delivering handguns or ammunition for handguns to any person under the age of 21. A strong state law is needed to stop unlicensed persons from selling handguns to those under the age of 21.

LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES
Are there limitations on large capacity ammunition magazines? No
New Hampshire - There is no state law restricting the sale or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines that can fire 30, 50 or even 75 rounds without reloading. Ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition are considered large capacity magazines. These types of ammunition magazines are available for any firearm capable of accepting a detachable magazine, including assault weapons and semi-automatic handguns.

LICENSE OR PERMIT TO PURCHASE
Is a license/permit required to buy handguns? No

No state requirement that handgun buyers obtain a handgun license or undergo any type of safety training prior to buying a handgun.

LIMIT BULK PURCHASES
Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on sales? No

No state restrictions on gun-trafficking such as a limit on the number of handguns that can be purchased at one time. Gun traffickers can easily buy large quantities of handguns at gun stores and resell them on the street to criminals.


LIMITS ON CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS
May police limit carrying concealed handguns? No

State law forces police chiefs and state sheriffs to give concealed carry permits (CCW) to anyone who can buy a handgun, allowing them to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public (known as �shall issue&#65533. Some safety training in the legal or safe use of weapons is required to obtain the CCW permit. State law allows residents of some other states to carry concealed weapons in this state without informing local police.

PREEMPTION - LOCAL GUN LAWS
May municipalities enact law stronger than the state's? No
New Hampshire: State law prohibits local governments from enacting sensible gun laws, even though the state has very weak laws that fail to effectively keep guns away from criminals and children.

RECORD KEEPING
May police maintain gun sale records? No

No state restriction on the sale or possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons like the AK47 and Uzi. Assault weapons are as easy to buy as hunting rifles. No restriction on the sale or possession of rapid-fire ammunition magazines that can fire up to 100 bullets without reloading. Federal law does prevent the sale of some assault weapons and rapid-fire magazines manufactured after 1994, but the federal law will sunset in 2004 unless Congress and President Bush renew it.

REGISTRATION
Are all guns registered with law enforcement? No

No state requirement that gun owners register their firearms. Police do not know how many guns are in the state or where they are. The lack of registration data makes it more difficult for police to trace guns used in crime, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for their weapons. There is no state system to automatically identify and disarm felons and other prohibited people who bought guns legally in the past, but later committed a crime or otherwise became ineligible to keep possession of their firearms.

REPORT LOST/STOLEN GUNS
Are firearm owners required to report all lost or stolen guns to law enforcement? No
New Hampshire - State law does not require firearm owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement. This requirement would help to keep illegal guns off the streets by removing the excuse used by gun traffickers that "lose" their firearms.

SAFETY STANDARDS
Are there consumer safety standards on guns? No

No state requirement that handguns meet any basic safety standards. No requirement that guns be sold with a child-safety lock or a built-in �personalized� lock to prevent unauthorized use. No requirement that handguns have loaded-chamber indicators or magazine safety disconnects that could prevent unintentional shootings. The state Attorney General is not allowed to independently establish handgun safety standards.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS
Are there limitations on 'junk' handguns? No

No state restriction on the sale of Saturday night specials or "junk" handguns. No requirement that handguns meet any safety tests such as a drop-safety test or a firing-performance test. No restriction on the sale of snub-nosed handguns that are very small and easy to conceal.

UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
Are background checks required on all gun sales? No
New Hampshire - No state requirement that criminal background checks be done on all firearm sales. People buying firearms at gun shows, swap meets, or through newspaper or internet advertisements are not subject to a background check. Criminal background checks are only required if the buyer goes to a federally-licensed gun store - all other sales are not subject to the background check.

WAITING PERIOD
Is there a waiting period on gun sales? No

No state requirement that there be a waiting period for gun sales beyond the "instant check" in federal law. Police are not given any additional time to run a criminal background check to make sure the gun buyer is not prohibited from acquiring firearms. There is no "cooling off" period to help prevent crimes of passion.

ok where are your stats to prove me wrong? you've only shown laws, which i can show you tons of other laws

United States: 0.042802 per 1,000 people
Canada: 0.0149063 per 1,000 people
United Kingdom: 0.0140633 per 1,000 people
Japan: 0.00499933 per 1,000 people
New Hampshire: 0.019 per 1,000 people AT MOST
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/law_enforcement_courts_prisons/crimes_and_crime_rates.html

ok and those deaths keep INCREASING in the states, which proves my point further, as you noticed, which proves my point even more right, Canada on the other hand, except for in 2005 have had about the same amount of murders by gun for the past several years

in the states alone between 2000 and today there has been an increase of 2000 murders by firearms, in Canada, cept for 1 year, it's been just over 20

yeah so gun control clearly has no effect on the rise in gun murders

You can't talk about the United States and gun control as if there is such a thing as 'the gun control laws of the United States' with how much the laws vary from state to state. You also can't talk about the murder rate of the United States given how THAT rate varies from state to state. A state like New Hampshire has the lowest murder rate in the U.S., yet it has some of the loosest gun laws. On the other hand, the state they single out as having the strongest gun laws in the country has a murder rate of 6.8 to 5.7 per 100K--the state with the strongest gun laws has a murder rate above the national average! For gun control, New Hampshire scored 11/100 while New Jersey scored 63/100, yet the New Jersey murder rate was almost FIVE TIMES that of New Hampshire!
http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/

actually you CAN compare the states as a whole, see i was comparing all countries as a whole and therefore not biasing any of my stats, i could easily also cherry pick provinces in Canada that have no murders by gun or same goes for Japan and the UK. it's not hard for me to do that

for me to use a country in one snap shot it provides a fair comparison of the overall picture not one or two cherry picked areas where the rate is a bit lower

oh and btw new jersey has lower murder by firearm rate than new hampshire does, which proves your argument wrong yet again

There's so much more to answering this question than some kind of half-assed, unjustified comparison of statistics.

actually no it's not half assed, it's fair as all countries are compared as a whole and not a small part of the country, cause i could just point to PEI which has a murder rate of 0 and show how well gun laws work and be as half assed as you

[quot]
You're using statistics in ways that are misleading. You need to pay more attention to what the statistics you have are actually measuring before using them to make an argument.[/quote]

actually you're just sore cause i'm proving my point and actually using facts to back it up. where you can pull one area where they are the stastical anomaly instead of the norm, i'd also like to see stats, not laws. also you've offered one example but i can easily show trends to prove me right

it's nice you want to think gun control doesn't reduce gun violence but the pure fact of it is, it does reduce the amount of murders by guns

 

[guardian001]

other countries, such as canada, britain and japan, have strict gun control hardly any gun violence.

Canadian gun laws aren't as strict as you might think. There are 3 people in my homeroom alone who own their own firearms, and are legally licensed to use them. Minor Licenses can be obtained at age 12, allowing the unsupervised use of a borrowed firearm, as well as the purchase of ammunition, and children under the age of 12 may get this license if they "are found to need a firearm to hunt or trap". full licenses can be obtained at age 18. The laws might be more strict than in the US, but they are not lenient.

OT, I think this is probably influenced by both gun control and population. With a higher population and guns readily available, it is statistically more likely that a country will get a person who decides gun violence is the answer. If one person in every million decides to shoot people to solve their problems, The US has 305 of these people, all with guns readily available.