With the start of a new school year, the resurgence of an issue no one is surprised to hear about is in the news again — gun violence. There were 33 individual incidents of gun violence in schools in September of 2024, particularly the recent incident at Apalachee High School in Georgia where four people were killed and nine others were injured. JD Vance, the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, shared that he believes school shootings are simply a “fact of life” and that improved security in schools is the answer.
However, other politicians like Gov. Newsom have taken a better approach toward gun violence by signing several new state gun control measures. These bills include restrictions on who can legally purchase a firearm, what weapons are allowed to be sold and increased protection for those experiencing domestic abuse. These new restrictions are a step in the right direction toward further protecting Californians.
In one new restriction, a judge can implement a gun violence restraining order based on evidence of stalking, animal cruelty or threats of violence, when previously it would require a felony charge. Additionally, a dismissal of any misdemeanor charge on account of mental incompetence will also result in the offender being blocked from purchasing a firearm in the future.
These restrictions make everyone safer by keeping weapons out of the hands of those prone to violence or not mentally competent enough to handle them. For example, statistics show that states that require background checks for criminal records before purchase have an average of 10% lower homicide rates. By creating stricter orders for background checks, the risk of homicide is reduced and law enforcement is better able to track potential shooters.
Gov. Newsom also passed a measure to lessen the spread of difficult to track “ghost guns” or guns without registered serial numbers that are acquired through online build kits, sold when they were set to be destroyed or can even be 3D printed. Newsom’s new measure will require law enforcement agencies to prohibit their contracted third parties from selling firearms meant to be destroyed. Not only will this make it harder for an offender to acquire a weapon, but it also makes it easier for law enforcement to identify the weapon and the perpetrator in the case of an attack.
In another bill signed at the same time, Newsom approved a regulation so that law enforcement who have been perpetrators of domestic violence will be more likely to lose their right to carry a gun. Law enforcement are also now required to take firearms from any perpetrators of domestic violence. The decision to disallow perpetrators to carry a gun lowers the risk for victims of domestic violence, therefore lowering the risk of gun violence for society as a whole if the perpetrator is a law enforcement officer. This is a very important protection for victims of domestic violence as over half of the incidents of homicides on women by a partner were committed with a firearm.
Another one of Newsom’s new policies safeguards the mental health of California students. “The Safe and Prepared Schools Act” bans the use of fake gunfire and fake blood in active shooter drills in public schools. Although this kind of ban should never have to exist in the first place, it is important because fake gunfire and blood are traumatizing and don’t help students in any way during a school shooter drill.
For example, studies show an increase of 25% in mental health prescriptions for elementary to high school-aged students who live near a fatal school shooting. Most of these medications are antidepressants or anti-anxiety prescriptions, which are commonly used to treat trauma. This data clearly shows the extreme mental health effects gun violence has on students in the United States and with gun violence on the rise, there is no need to actively contribute to this trauma by using fake gunfire and blood.
Overall, while these new bills are definitely a step in the right direction, there is certainly more that needs to be done to ensure the safety of citizens nationwide. California is ahead of federal law on this issue, but that still is not enough. Gun ownership laws and licensing need to be more restrictive at the federal level to protect the country and its students.
