The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of The Prowler.

A huge problem in our nation right now is gun violence. It is too easy to get a gun, especially at a very young age in places such as Florida and Minnesota. In Minnesota, the legal age to get a rifle is at age 14 with no parental consent. 

More than 13,000 people are killed each year in the United States by guns, which includes a new kind of violence– mass shootings. Guns are getting into the wrong hands and are being used for the wrong reasons. There is no reason a teen or adult should have a semi-automatic gun like an AK-47 or an AR-15. 

I think gun violence is a very important topic to learn or write about, especially in the United States. There are many different opinions on gun violence. I personally think that guns should not be carried anywhere. 

This topic matters to me because I live in fear every day that no matter where I go, there can be a shooter. It’s sad that at my old school we had to do lock-down drills, and I now have to go through security to get into my high school.

Recently, there was a suspected shooter at the Topanga Mall where I go almost every weekend. I wasn’t there, but I know two people who were there while it happened and had to hide for over two hours in storage rooms fearing for their lives. I feel like I can’t go out in public without looking around everywhere, making sure nobody looks suspicious. I am even scared to turn on the news because it has become so common to hear about mass shootings. 

Something needs to happen to fix this problem because it is just going to keep getting worse. We need much stronger background checks to see if the person is mentally stable. Semi-automatic weapons should not even be sold because the only reason you would have one is if you are in the army.

The age is way too young to buy a gun in many states. Most kids aren’t mature enough to own these guns even if it is only for hunting. There needs to be a no-gun law because even people who are buying them for hunting or self defense may end up using them in mass shootings. Stronger gun laws need to be passed if they are going to be legal.