Running head: Gun Violence in San Antonio

Gun Violence in San Antonio

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Gun Violence in San Antonio

Gun violence is a common security issue that has been affecting individuals living in San

Antonio. The region is ranked among the top five affected areas by the violence, ranging from

domestic to community violence. Individuals living in San Antonio have concentrated on gun

acquiring to protect themselves. The people get guns legally from relevant government bodies,

whereas others acquire them illegally from illegal traffickers. Although guns improve civilian’s

security, they increase the likelihood of violence due to increased individual access and

unregulated holding and use. The unregulated use promotes violence mostly from individuals

with ill intentions on others, leading to detrimental effects such as deaths and injuries. The

impacts of gun violence have increased the government’s and people’s concerns about the rising

safety concerns prompting them to design various interventions to reduce or eliminate it. Gun

violence threatens the peaceful coexistence and individual’s well-being in society. This paper

will present various issues regarding the violence in San Antonio and various solutions to it.

San Antonio records 100 cases of gun violence every year, affecting various society

members. The available data regarding these gun violence deaths dates back from the 1990s

when many cases were recorded in this area. Most deaths were attributed to suicide, while

homicide and unintentional shootings also contributed considerably to the total tally. Gun

injuries are classified as the leading causes of death in this area. The government has been

making various efforts to avert the issue, although the incidents are still increasing with the

effects being felt in society. However, they are mostly felt by young people who are either

perpetrators or victims. Many youths die from firearms-related shootings than other natural

causes. The crime is sometimes seen as even more racial based, targeting young black men than
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people of different races. The violence has been the top cause of deaths among black males aged

between 16 to 20 years since the 1960s (Strong et al., 2018). The number shows the seriousness

of the crime in society in this region.

Although the violence is experienced in the community and households, some

perpetrators start the violence directly or indirectly from robberies. They violently engage those

around them, with the victims and the police responding to the robberies differently, thus also

triggering violence. The violence leads to injuries, destruction of property, and deaths of

innocent individuals in the violence areas. Other individuals and groups, such as drug dealers and

gangs, acquire guns from the illegal markets to protect their illegal dealings (Sanchez et al.,

2020). They sometimes confront each other, leading to detrimental effects on the involved and

innocent people in the violence.

The gangs and drug dealers also recruit young individuals who join them in drug selling

and use and gun violence. According to Strong et al. (2018), some youths get their parents'

firearms out of their homes to use their illegal dealings with the gangs to get money. Students

also steal firearms from their households and take them to schools to carry out criminal activities,

which sometimes turn into violence. There have been cases where students have engaged in gun

violence in schools killing or injuring their fellow students. For instance, Sam Houston School

once experienced gun violence where students were involved in the shooting. In this incident,

several students were injured seriously, showing the significant effects of students possessing

guns.

The mass shooting by one or several shooters is also a common issue in San Antonio.

The individuals attack a group of people at designated areas where they shoot indiscriminately
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with the intent of killing or injuring many to serve their interests or those of the crime groups.

The mass shooting cases have been recorded in the churches, entertainment joints, and markets.

The public shootings have detrimental psychological and emotional impacts on the victims, their

families, and society, which affect them negatively for a period (Strong et al., 2018). The

shooting incidents in the area have increased public tensions creating a feeling of insecurity in

public places and institutions where there are masses.

There is also violence resulting from the legalized gun owners who carry out domestic

shootings and other community shootings. One party either shoots at their intimate partner or

their children while sober or when under the drug's influence. However, women mostly suffer

from this violence at homes in San Antonio compared to men (Lynch et al., 2019). This violence

sometimes leads to killings of other non-involved individuals or outsiders who intervene or those

trying to arrest the perpetrator. There are also other shooting cases by innocent gun holders who

engage in conflicts with other individuals in businesses or other public places. For instance, there

have been gun violence cases in various markets due to conflicts between the customers and

sellers.

Solutions

The government and society need to employ various approaches to end the gun violence

issue in San Antonio. Firstly, the issue can be addressed by developing effective gun laws and a

firearm safety culture. The gun law would require individuals to obtain licenses before acquiring

guns. The individuals would also undergo firearm training for a certain period to make the

acquisition difficult, thus preventing massive access, which hinders government control. The gun
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laws also encompass policies of preventing gun violence and gun access by non-authorized

individuals (Popovits, 2020).

The policies reduce gun access among various groups of individuals such as children,

individuals who have a gun criminal history, those of unsound minds, or other persons who can't

use the guns responsibly. Firearm trafficking should also be labeled as a crime, and penalties

should be put to prevent the sale or purchase of guns. On the other hand, a safety culture would

encompass effective ways of storing and holding the gun safely in public or private places. It

would also include setting a routine or all-time oversight and accountability platform for selling

ammunition and firearms (Ludwig, 2017). Therefore, the laws and safety culture would reduce

gun violence and its effects from illegal access and unsafe storage and usage culture.

Another solution is investing in different technologies that would reduce or stop the

violence. The technologies would comprise gun trackers, detectors, and other crucial aspects to

detect illegal gun holders and enhance their arrests (Sanchez et al., 2020). The technology can

also facilitate safe storage and use, limiting some individuals' decisions on the use, thus barring

them from engaging in the violence. Other technologies can also be adopted to boost society’s

security and individuals’ protection. The technologies will decrease the need for having a gun as

a self-defense tool. Therefore, reducing the need for a firearm will minimize intentional and non-

intentional violent acts with firearms.

Community interventions can also address the gun violence issue. The interventions

include community groups' and influential personnel to provide educational and enlightenment

programs to all individuals to avert gun violence. The influential individuals or trained groups

can be discharging mental health and safety campaigns through Advance Peace programs to
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sensitize individuals on the importance of avoiding gun violence. Besides, the community

programs can encompass education programs that will instill in uneducated adults knowledge

and skills to help them legal ways of earning a living. The groups can also set programs that will

boost the parent’s abilities to shape their children's behaviors, thus avoiding violence (Ludwig,

2017).

The government should promote medical assistance to avert trauma, stigma, and other

psychological conditions that push individuals to engage in firearm violence. The area’s

authority should treat violence as a preventable health issue to avoid premature deaths.

Individuals suffering from mental issues due to domestic problems, drug misuse, natural causes,

and other causes may engage in the violence (Hickner, 2018). The authority should create laws

that allow doctors to engage in gun conversations with patients to enhance appropriate medical

interventions. The government and communities should also set up health facilities to handle

various mental issues, thus preventing them from getting to extreme levels, which leads to

violence. The facilities should be equipped with the necessary resources to enhance the quick

recovery of the affected individuals. The mental treatment will, therefore, end present and future

community and domestic violence in the area.

The government should initiate effective educational programs and respective economic

development at the societal level to avert youth violence. The programs divert the youth's focus

from irrelevant issues to innovative activities, guaranteeing them success in the future, thus

prompting them to avoid criminal activities (Garrett, 2018). The government should also train

and enlighten law enforcement officers on gun violence matters to improve their effectiveness in

detecting possible cases of gun violations and dealing with the perpetrators. On the other hand,
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economic development can lead to employment creation, thus preventing youths from engaging

in illegal activities such as drug abuse. The economic development and education programs can

also enhance investment ideas among the youths, making them focus on developing themselves

legally without engaging in gun violence.

In conclusion, gun violence is mostly encouraged by easy access to guns and

irresponsible individuals' improper usage. The violence has led to massive injuries and loss of

lives in San Antonio, making it necessary to address the issue. Gun violence can be solved by

creating strong government laws regulating firearms access and usage since it's the key

contributor to the violence. Communities can also supplement the government to eradicate the

crime through enlightenment programs, campaigns, and other support that reduce gun violence.

Therefore, the government and community interventions will reduce gun violence, promoting

individuals' well-being, and peaceful coexistence.

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References

Garrett, B. (2018). Stakeholder Perceptions of Gun Violence Perpetrated by Young Men.

Hickner, J. (2018). We need to treat gun violence like an epidemic. Journal of family

practice, 67(4), 198-198.

Ludwig, J. (2017). Reducing gun violence in America. Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences, 114(46), 12097-12099.

Lynch, K. R., Jackson, D. B., & Logan, T. K. (2019). Coercive Control, Stalking, and Guns:

Modeling Service Professionals’ Perceived Risk of Potentially Fatal Intimate Partner Gun

Violence. Journal of interpersonal violence, 0886260519839419.

Popovits, A. (2020). Working to Prevent Gun Violence in the United States: The Role of Policy

& Advocacy.

Sanchez, C., Jajuan, D., Shaikh, S., McKenney, M., & Elkbuli, A. (2020). A systematic review

of the causes and prevention strategies in reducing gun violence in the United States. The

American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Strong, B., Tracy, B. M., Sangji, N. F., & Barrera, K. (2018). Gun violence and firearm policy in

the US: A brief history and the current status. Bulletin of the American College of

Surgeons.
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San Antonio Police Department’s uniform crime report.