Gun violence
Gun violence is a daily tragedy across the globe. It sometimes affects people unequally, depending on race, gender, and socioeconomic class. An estimated 2,000 people are injured by gunfire each day. Globally, at least 2 million people live with gun-related injuries, and millions more suffer the psychological trauma or constant threat of armed conflict.
Gun violence is especially widespread in the Americas, where access to firearms is easy, regulations are weak, and enforcement of gun control laws is often lacking. In Latin America and the Caribbean, corruption, organized crime, and ineffective justice systems further worsen the issue.
The United States is estimated to have around 400 million guns—about 40% of the world’s total firearms—despite making up only 4% of the global population. That means Americans own 42% of the world’s civilian firearms, exceeding the total population of the country of 330 million. While U.S. law prohibits alcohol consumption under age 21, it allows gun purchases starting at age 18, making firearms widely accessible. The result is a staggering number of armed conflicts, as there are more guns than people.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, 41,219 people died from gun-related incidents, including suicides, between January 1 and December 2, 2021. That’s roughly one death every 12 minutes. Among those, 283 were children under 11, and 1,118 were adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics reports that in the 2019–2020 school year from September 2019 to August 2020, there were 112 school-related shooting incidents, resulting in 32 deaths and 88 injuries. In the 2018-2019 school year, the same number of incidents caused 33 deaths and 79 injuries. The 2017–2018 school year saw the highest number of casualties: 87 incidents led to 52 deaths and 130 injuries. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from December 2019 to December 2020, the gun-related death rate among American children under 14 surged by over 50%.
Since school shootings are just one part of the daily reality of gun violence, there is no fundamental solution unless the number of incidents itself is reduced. Even though nearly 1,500 minors lose their lives to armed conflict each year, the majority of American citizens still highly value the “right to bear arms” guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
》Prayer Points
1. In the United States and Latin America, accidental firearm incidents and mass shootings are sometimes committed by children. Let us pray for the transformation of political and social systems that allow dangerous weapons to fall into the hands of children. May family environments also be renewed to protect the youth from harm.
2. Let us pray for governments to establish strong institutional measures to prevent impulsive, emotionally driven shootings in homes, schools, and campuses, so that the youth is not left defenseless and can be safeguarded from senseless violence.
》Scripture Prayer
Proverbs 14:21-31(NIV) 21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. 22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. 23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. 24 The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly. 25 A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful. 26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. 28 A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined. 29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. 30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. 31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. Gun violence, including accidental shootings, criminal shootings, and mass shootings, no longer occurs just on battlefields but in daily life. In the United States, where the frontier era shaped a tradition of gun ownership enshrined in the Constitution, this legacy continues. Still, let us pray that firearms meant for self-defense are not misused in ways that endanger others, and that emotional reactions do not lead to deadly decisions. May hearts be softened before harm is done.
2. Let us stand against Satan, the evil one who deceives and drives people to murder, in the name of Christ. He broke the chains of sin on the cross and set souls free through the truth of the gospel. In nations like the United States, where people can be exposed to gun violence at any moment, let us pray that the youth will fear the Lord and take refuge in Him as their secure fortress. May the fear of God cause the fountain of life to flow from within them, freeing many from the snare of death.
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