Since the start of the 2010`s there have been over 100 school shooting incidents across the United States. These horrific events have claimed the lives of 131 people and injured many more. School shootings have become more commonplace in the U.S recently, with 20 percent of the shootings taking place in the past year.

School shootings are a looming issue on the American landscape, putting many students in danger and many parents in fear.

One of the most recent shootings occurred on October 1, in Roseburg, Oregon, at Umpqua Community College. At 10:38am gunman Christopher Harper-Mercer opened fire, killing nine people. Shortly thereafter, he took his own life.

Harper-Mercer was deeply invested in his attack as he owned six firearms, many magazines of ammunition, and body armor. When he began killing the students, he reportedly asked them to tell him their faith, and shot those who were Christian. However, one student stood up for his classmates by trying block the shooter from entering the classroom. The shooter opened fire, killing thirty year old Chris Mintz, on the day of his son`s sixth birthday.

This latest act of violence on a school grounds has not gone unnoticed, and many hope it will finally pave the way for a solution to an ever-growing problem. A visibly upset President Barack Obama addressed the issue, somberly saying, “Somehow this has become routine … we have become numb.”

Obama followed up by admitting he was powerless in this situation because it would be highly unlikely for him to be able to pass a legislation before his term ends. That however, is no excuse to leave the issue where it stands. America is the only developed country that has to deal with these shooting so often.

In fact, another mass shooting would have taken place in the month of October if it weren’t for the foolish threats of the potential shooters at Summerville High School in Tuolumne, California. According to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department, they were contacted by administrators concerned with the threats the students were making towards them. Police then searched the homes and lockers of the four suspected gunman and found the list of the planned victims, as well as the plans to carry out the shooting.

Police speculate that the shooters were in the process of obtaining the weapons needed for their intended massacre. If successful, the intended Summerville High School shooting would’ve given America two school shootings in as many weeks. More young lives would have been ended, and more parents would’ve been heartbroken by the news of their child`s death. We would have another address by the President, and another memorial for those who lost their lives.

The questions have been posed countless times after each and every mass shooting: How many more mass killings will it take before our nation’s leadership puts aside its political ideology and indebtedness to the gun lobby to enact legislation in order to fulfill its obligation to better ensure the safety of the citizenry it has sworn to serve?