On Monday, April 10th, a gunman opened fire in a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. The shooter was Connor Sturgeon, an employee at the bank. Sturgeon was killed during a shootout with the police. The gunman hit 13 people, leaving eight wounded and five dead. The gunman started shooting around 8:30 AM, before the bank opened, during an employee meeting. Some employees were at the meeting physically, while others were forced to watch through the virtual, which means they had been attending the conference. The shooting had been live-streamed on Instagram but was quickly taken down, and the video is now in police possession. 

Sturgeon, the shooter, had been working at the bank for over a year but was told he would soon be terminated. Sources say he wrote letters indicating that he would open fire and sent them to his parents and a friend. It’s unclear whether these letters were seen before the shooting began. One of the injured people was a rookie cop who had just graduated from the academy ten days before. He was shot in the head and is currently in critical condition. After the shooting, the block where Sturgeon had lived was cordoned off while the police interviewed the residents about the gunman. 

The Louisville police have been under much hate since 2020, when they raided and killed Breonna Taylor. After this latest shooting, however, the police were praised for their quick response and efforts.

Following the shooting, many officials addressed the growing threat of gun violence and pleaded that it be addressed. In addition to the pleading, doctors at the hospital asked all residents who could please step in and donate blood; because 170 pints of blood were used for all the gunshot victims. Since the pandemic, blood donations have declined; as of 2022, The Red Cross declared a blood shortage. Over the past few years, gun violence has exacerbated the blood shortage as gunshot victims need significant blood transfusions. 

As of 2023, there have been more mass shootings than days, with 163 mass shootings having occurred in 2023 so far. Mass shootings are classified as shootings with four or more people shot or killed. Contrary to what the public focuses on, most gun violence is not from mass shootings. While mass shootings are highly publicized, over 500 people die per day at the hands of firearms. And at least 2,000 people a day are injured by guns. 

Laws on weapons have been debated for many years. Recently though, the controversy has been all over social media and the news, and seemingly everyone has an opinion on whether guns should or should not be allowed. After the Monterey Park shooting, President Biden announced stricter protocols when granting firearms and gun licenses to people. However, mass shootings are still at an all-time high. Biden has based at least a dozen administrative laws to combat gun control and violence. According to news outlets, this is more than any president has done to fight gun violence. What seems to be the status quo is that Democrats are pushing for more laws on guns, but Republicans have gone back, leading to little or no progress in controlling gun violence. Gun violence is an everyday occurrence and leaves many families victimized. The right to bear arms remains controversial in social media and news outlets.