In recent years, the epidemic of gun violence has been at an all-time high. Unfortunately, that comes with an increase in mass shootings and casualties. If it is not acted upon immediately, the harmful effects will continue to occur.
On the morning on April 3, 2022, a fight broke out on the 1000th block of K Street in Sacramento, Calif. This street is filled with nightclubs, and the altercation occurred around 2 a.m., right after the clubs closed. Though unclear whether this fight started the gun violence, a shootout soon followed. After over 100 shots had been fired, six lives were taken and 12 were injured.
Most of these deaths and injuries were innocent bystanders. Junior Kenzie Ruge expressed her opinion about the effects of gang violence. “Gang violence affects communities because innocent people die,” she said. The entire Sacramento community is in shock as they watch their neighbors’ lives taken in the deadliest shootout that Sacramento has ever seen.
After further investigation, the Sacramento Police Department tied the shooting to gang violence between the Del Paso Bloods and the Crips. Kathy Lester, the Sacramento Police Chief, confirmed that there were at least five shooters involved and at least two of the casualties were gang members. Three suspects have been arrested.
Dandrae Martin was the first suspect taken into custody for possession of a firearm. Martin has quite the criminal record. In 2016, he was convicted of aggravated assault and domestic violence by restricting breathing. In 2018, he was found guilty of a marijuana violation and criminal damage. Lester also said in a press conference that the firearm he used was modified so it could fire automatically. Under California law, it is classified as a handgun.
Smiley Allen Martin, Dandrae Martin’s brother, was the second person arrested in the interest of this crime. Like his brother, this is not Smiley Martin’s first encounter with the law. His criminal record dates back to 2013, and his latest offense earned him a ten year sentence in 2018. He was found guilty for domestic violence and assault with a great bodily injury. He was released early regardless of the Board of Parole Hearing’s recommendation for Smiley Martin to remain in custody. Smiley Martin went on facebook live the morning of the incident and wildly waved around a handgun.
Daviyonne Dawson was also arrested as he had been seen carrying a gun immediately after the shooting. However, police believe that Dawson’s gun was not used during the shootout.
Both Smiley Martin and Dandrae Martin have loads of offenses. In fact, Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Danielle Abilgard strongly disagreed with releasing Smiley Martin early. “If he [Smiley] is released early, he will continue to break the law,” she wrote in a letter on April 29. Releasing those who have committed violent crimes and allowing them access to guns is bound to end in a disaster.
Junior Arissa Khan expressed the dangers behind giving the wrong people powerful weapons. “There should be higher gun restrictions in general, but especially towards those who have been convicted of multiple violent crimes. Guns are a tool that aren’t necessarily dangerous on their own, but when given to the wrong people, can inflict devastating and permanent damage,” she said. “Military style rifles, in particular, serve no purpose in civilian environments. Stricter gun laws and restrictions can help stop not only gang violence, but other, unnecessary deaths caused by guns.”
The obvious way to reduce the amount of gun violence is to add restrictions on the ability to purchase guns. However, Khan brings in a different perspective on decreasing easy access to guns. “Loopholes should also be made illegal, such as gun shows, where various guns, attachments, and ammunition are readily available to anyone without any form of background check to see what kind of person is purchasing the weapon.” Khan brings up a great point. Guns can fall into the wrong hands even if there is legislation that prevents it from doing so. Blocking illegal access would heavily decrease the amount of firearm related deaths.
The issue of gun control may be a controversial one, but it is one that desperately needs to be addressed. With little to no restrictions, there is no way to limit firearm availability to those who will cause harm. Considering the ridiculously high statistics that are currently present, it is extremely important that the access to firearms is limited.
