1.5 Mass Shootings a Day

As I read about yet another mass shooting this Sunday morning – this time in Philadelphia – I was struck by the following statistic:

“There have been at least 239 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. CNN and the archive define a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.”

(source: CNN https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/05/us/philadelphia-south-street-shooting/index.html)

239! That number was published on Sunday, June 5th, which is the 155th day of the year. That means in 2022, we’re averaging more than 1.5 of these horrific mass shootings per day. Even the adjective “horrific” is unable to convey the scale of the tragedy. There are no words that really can.

Something must be done. No, not something – many things must be done.

God, we pray for the grieving mothers and fathers whose hearts are forever broken after their children were murdered in Uvalde, Texas. We pray for every person who has ever lost a loved one to gun violence. We ask that you guide our policymakers to make better decisions – to have the courage to make the changes that are long overdue. We know that changing laws will not put a complete stop to the senseless killing, but every change that will save lives must be enacted. We pray for the survivors, especially the children who witnessed their friends and teachers shot to death. We pray that as mental health needs continue to escalate, so too will services for those in need of support. Please be with each of us in our collective grief as we try to make sense of senseless acts. Amen.

Amanda has been a member of Peace Church for about three years and is very grateful for this supporting community and safe space to share.