In 2025, there were 109 recorded school shootings. On average, that is seven people dying each day due to gun violence. According to the Sandy Hook Promise website, firearm deaths are five times more likely to happen than drowning deaths. So that begs the question, why are school shootings so common? Why are so many people dying in these tragedies? There are a multitude of reasons, but it comes down to one reason: mental health and lack of action.
A study done by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNP) found that most of the individuals at fault for the shootings had one common denominator: they all had some experience with bullying, teasing, abuse, or had been exposed to some sort of violence in their childhood. These may seem like small issues, but they can actually have a massive impact on a child’s development. These factors can negatively affect the child and make them depressed, anxious, and more prone to violence, whether it be to themself or others.
Over 72% of shooters were reported to have at least one harmful experience in their childhood, and 60% were reported to have experienced bullying (from the NAPNP journal). These statistics show a pattern; what comes out of one person’s mouth can have a detrimental effect on another. It is not just in person either, 60% of bullying reported was from in-person and online.
Nowadays, social media is where everyone posts their innermost thoughts, including past and future school shooters. In the NAPNP journal, experts said that before a school shooting happens, the perpetrator has almost always posted comments that were a warning of what was to come. This means that most of the shootings that have happened could have been prevented had the warnings been taken seriously.
So, what is my point in saying all of this? I am not suggesting that every person who struggles with mental health is going to be a threat to a school, and I am not saying we should fear mental health as a whole. Instead, I believe our solution is to help those who are struggling and take those warning signs seriously.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, only 19.2% of adults received mental health help in 2019. This number is astronomically low, especially when you take into account that every single person can benefit from going to therapy. Due to therapy being extremely expensive, however, not a lot of individuals are able to get the help that they need. If therapy were more accessible to the public, then these potential shooters could get the help that they need.
Gun control is also a main reason why school shootings are so common. While it can be said that banning guns would lessen the degree of violence these school shootings have, it still doesn’t get to the root of the problem. If these individuals really want to harm someone, they will find a way.
That’s why getting people the help they need matters so much. If America is able to make healthcare and mental health help more affordable, it would benefit all. It would also stand to benefit all if the warning signs and threats were not ignored, and the turmoil is put to a stop before it has a chance to fester and spiral out of control. If we can make these things happen, not only would kids be able to learn without fear of dying, but it would also give these kids hope for the future, that they will be able to become successful and live a long-lasting life.
