1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

Every day, more than 120 people in America are shot and killed, and hundreds more are wounded. This staggering toll is unacceptable. While schools remain among the safest places for children, the threat of gun violence looms. Research shows that secure firearm storage laws, extreme risk protection orders, and raising the minimum age to purchase semiautomatic firearms can prevent shootings before they occur. We must also invest in school-based interventions like fostering a positive climate, implementing crisis response programs, ensuring adequate mental health resources, and embracing security enhancements proven effective. Arming teachers and overpolicing schools are counterproductive. Gun violence is preventable when we pursue data-driven policies and practices. It is imperative that we act now to keep our students and educators safe from the tragic consequences of inaction. A: I appreciate the detailed analysis on preventing gun violence in schools provided by the Everytown Research and Policy team. Their data-driven recommendations highlight the need for a comprehensive approach combining strong gun laws with evidence-based school interventions. Prioritizing secure firearm storage, extreme risk laws, and raising the minimum age for semiautomatic firearms could directly prevent school shootings by keeping guns out of the wrong hands. At the same time, fostering a positive school climate, improving access to mental health resources, and implementing proven security measures create an environment where students feel supported and potential threats can be safely defused before violence occurs. In contrast, arming teachers and overpolicing schools only exacerbate harm. Given the grave toll of gun violence on our children and educators, we must act urgently to enact these common-sense, research-backed policies and practices. Our students' lives and wellbeing depend on it.