It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Stephen Paddock, 64, overlooking the crowd from his hotel suite, opened fire on music festival attendees in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500 others. While his motives remain unclear, the massacre has sparked discussions across the nation regarding what can be done to prevent mass homicides due to gun violence in America.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund — an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to understand and reduce gun violence in America — the U.S. has one of the highest rates of death by firearm in the developed world. America’s gun homicide rate is more than 25 times the average of other high-income countries. Despite gun control debates re-emerging, a unified solution remains unclear.
Here in Indianapolis, more than 100 individuals have died due to gun violence this year. Members of the community are divided over answers.
A sister’s story
Six people were killed in homicides in Indianapolis during the same weekend of the Las Vegas massacre. One of the victims was 38-year-old Kirk Shurill, who was attending a memorial service for a homicide victim on Sept. 30 when he was fatally shot.
“He was in the car smoking it, they call it ‘burning rubber,’ and apparently the shooter considered it disrespectful. He just walked up to the car, opened fire and shot my brother 17 times,” said Amy Cowherd, Shurill’s sister.
Cowherd feels stricter gun control laws would have prevented her brother’s death and feels the government needs to find reasonable ways to keep weapons out of the wrong hands.
Kirk Shurill, pictured here with his sister Amy Cowherd, was attending a memorial service for a homicide victim on Sept. 30 when he was fatally shot.
“If there were more reasonable gun control measures put in place, it could have prevented the whole incident from happening. He could have dealt with his anger for being mad at my brother, dealt with it in a more reasonable fashion than to shoot him,” said Cowherd. “(Gun control) needs to be tightened up, so it’s not so easy for people to get guns, and just get mad over anything and shoot someone for whatever reason. It was a senseless act. I don’t know what the shooter was thinking.”
A deputy’s perspective
Deputy Chief Chris Bailey with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says that in Indiana, there is no requirement to register weapons with the city or state, but individuals with handguns are required to have a handgun license. Bailey says the majority of individuals who are committing homicide do not possess a handgun licenses.
“They are getting their guns off the street. They are being stolen from cars, or we have had gun store burglaries, and those guns end up on the street,” said Bailey. “(Recently) we had an incident where there were shots fired near (IMPD) North District roll call, at a park in a shelter. There were some teenagers in that shelter around midnight with a semi-automatic weapon. They fired off 15 rounds, and the gun was stolen.”
Bailey doesn’t think stricter gun laws would help lower the number of homicides, because most of the weapons being used are being used illegally. He thinks the gun laws that are already in place need to be enforced better.
“We repeatedly see the same people we have caught illegally possessing a gun, and three, four or fives times they are back out with a gun again. They are violating the laws that say you can’t have a gun, and they eventually become a victim of a homicide or they commit a violent crime. We need to do better at enforcing the laws we have,” said Bailey.
An activist’s outlook
Mmoja Ajabu, a former Black Panther Militia leader turned reverend, isn’t convinced that stricter gun control laws are the solution.
“It’s interesting to me that when people want to talk gun control, they ignore the shooter. If a person is driving too fast in a car, they don’t blame the car, they blame the driver. With guns, they don’t blame the shooter, they blame the gun,” said Ajabu.
He believes citizens need access to guns to defend themselves against the government.
“People don’t understand why the Second Amendment was put into the Constitution. The right to bear arms was never about crime; it’s about the fear that the government will get out of control, and if you don’t have an arm, you will not have the capability to stop the government from getting out of control, to the detriment of our freedom,” explained Ajabu.
A citizen’s concerns
Indianapolis resident Dominic Dorsey says he supports individuals owning guns for safety and security reasons. Dorsey started the “Black Power Gun Club” group on Facebook to encourage African-Americans to practice their right to bear arms, yet he feels there should be more limitations on the types of weapons individuals and officers can own.
“There’s no need for assault rifles or automatic weapons on U.S. soil. The police are militarized, and that’s ridiculous. People becoming militarized are the next step. Demilitarize the force and the citizenry, and we’ll all be better off,” said Dorsey.
In some countries, Dorsey’s suggestions seem to be working pretty well. In the U.K., which has a lower rate of gun-related homicides than the U.S., it is common for police officers to not carry guns, instead relying on mace, handcuffs and stun guns to get the job done. Also, individuals applying for a firearms certificate are thoroughly screened by the police to make sure they have a good reason to own a firearm and are fit to own one.
A preacher’s prayer
After six Hoosiers were murdered in a span of four days, a group of pastors and community leaders gathered to pray for peace in our city. Among the crowd was Terry Webster Sr., pastor of Nu Corinthian Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Webster believes elected officials as well as everyday citizens can play a role in promoting peace in Indy.
“I think one step elected officials should take is stricter laws to help with those who have easy access to guns. We can be advocates for laws that prevent certain people from getting guns in their hands,” said Webster. “Perhaps everyday people could share a message of peace instead of messages of hate. Positivity rather than negativity can certainly be advocated for.”
Webster believes the core of all violence is sin, and in order to have peace citizens must seek both physical and spiritual healing.
“I believe we are not just fighting a natural war; it’s a spiritual war as well. That’s why we believe it was so important to come out of our four walls … to take action in the streets,” said Webster. “One of the messages we try to give is a spiritual message that God is a God of love, and violence is not an option. If we turn our hearts to Him, we will learn how to values the lives of one another.”
Samantha Butler, the mother of 22-year-old James Butler, who was killed recently on West 28th Street, pleads for justice for her son. He was the 103rd homicide victim of 2017 in Indianapolis. A poster behind her, held by James’ cousin Shawnisha Lewis, was signed by relatives and friends showing support for the family. (Photo/Curtis Guynn)
