On April 17, tragedy struck as Florida State University, where a shooter broke out on campus, injuring six and killing two people. The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, who used his mother’s handgun.
Ikner’s stepmother is a sheriff’s deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Ikner exited the car with a shotgun, however, it jammed, which led to the use of a handgun. Ikner was shot and wounded by Tallahassee police.
There have been numerous shootings across the country in recent years, which have left Americans questioning what solutions we should bring about. Our constitutional rights make the solution a difficult one to find, but with the options presented, some solutions may not interfere with the Second Amendment.
The best solution for this writer would be to stricken laws and regulations on gun ownership. In the most recent shooting, while little is known so far, Ikner managed to obtain the firearms used in the shooting from his mother’s possession. It is uncertain specifically how Ikner was able to obtain the weapons, but questions are raised as to how his mother will be held accountable. If it is found that his mother did not store the weapons properly or made them easily attainable to her son, she should be held accountable.
It is worth noting that, while controversial, this writer believes that revoking the Second Amendment is non-negotiable. As there is no lawful way to revoke any amendment, if hypothetically one of our rights is removed from the Bill of Rights, it becomes a much easier process to alter the other rights that we have, which could lead us towards becoming a more communist country, or simply a country where we begin to lose out on more basic human rights.
When applying to own a gun, something that isn’t generally questioned is whether you have any direct family members, or members of the household, who have any mental illnesses. This writer feels that the application to own a firearm should include that question and should include even stricter background checks on the purchaser, as well as members of the household. Maybe having a relative or member of the household with a mental illness should not determine whether or not you are able to purchase and own a gun, but creating a different set of rules for different branches of environments of an owner could create a better setting in America.
Creating a safe environment at schools, places of business and any social setting is hugely important in America and across the world. That being said, finding a way to do this while also letting people retain their right to bear arms in this case is a difficult maze to navigate. For now, damage limitation is the best way to climb the mountain that is eliminating shootings in America.
