How do you solve a problem like gun violence?

Last Sunday, a tragedy occurred on what should have been a joyous occasion. What was supposed to be a celebratory university graduation ceremony turned deadly when an armed suspect made his way to the event looking for what some have speculated was a target – the former mayor of southern Lamitan city, Rose Furigay.

The former mayor was set to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony at the law school of Ateneo de Manila University when the suspect, who is also a native of the same province and had no connections at the event, arrived. The police have said that it looked like a targeted attack, and those who were present said the same, and that the gunman was determined to get his target despite the collateral damage.

The other two who perished in the shootout were former Mayor Furigay’s aide Victor George Capistrano and Ateneo security guard Jeneven Bandiala who tried to stop the assailant. Furigay’s daughter was also wounded and is recovering, according to police.

The university immediately canceled the ceremony, and the area was shut down, leaving those already there locked in the venue while the suspect was apprehended. Text and social media posts from the people at the venue revealed how scared they were and how uncertain those several hours were for everyone.

Eventually, the suspect was apprehended and put under police custody for further investigation. Those still on the premises were allowed to go home when it was safe. Currently, the school is undoubtedly looking over its safety protocols to see how the shooter evaded them and gained access to the venue. At the same time, they are calling for justice and a complete and thorough investigation.

This is not the first time there was an attack on school grounds though they are very few and far between, with the former incidents back in the 1990s. As far as gun violence goes, we have our share, but what seems to be different in the Philippines from other countries is that the cases of random gun violence are rare. Despite having easy access to firearms – not all legal – few recorded incidents of gun violence are random.

What we do have a lot of in the country is targeted gun violence, as what the university shooting appears to be. We see gun-related deaths in the news, but it’s almost all a deliberate, targeted attack. And most of these involve politics. We all know elections can be bloody in the Philippines, and it’s always scary, especially in the provinces, for poll officers and political rivals.

This problem needs to be addressed and remedied sooner rather than later. However, it’s challenging to find a solution for a systemic issue that we have faced for years and years. This is not specific to any political party or entity, but is a problem everyone faces. At the same time, we must continue to put measures in place to prevent mass shootings from becoming random like in other parts of the world such as in the United States.

Every country has its share of issues, and I do not doubt that almost every country has had problems with guns – whatever those may be. But no country seems to have the same scope of gun violence issues as the United States. Despite years of mass shootings and promises to do better, they are still struggling to find the answer to prevent these shootings from happening.

Six months into 2022 alone and the United States has already logged over 306 mass shootings, with over 10,000 people nationwide dying from some form of gun violence. Our hearts all broke for the innocent children and teachers who died at the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, and the most recent shooting incidents during the holiday parade, but what has changed since then?

Follow-up news reports that the gunman at the school shooting exhibited several warning signs for mass violence in the days and months leading up to the attack, but was still able to quickly and legally purchase the assault rifle used in the shooting. What safeguards prevent individuals like this from having access to deadly assault weapons?

Quite frankly, it’s a huge problem and one that can’t be solved easily. With politicians on both sides of the fence, it doesn’t seem like it will be solved quickly either. It’s impossible to do the extremes on both ends. The solution isn’t to take guns away, but put in place better protocols and safeguards. They have the same protocols for anyone operating heavy machinery or adopting a pet, so why should this be any different?

Currently, there are new federal gun laws that boost background checks for people ages 18 to 20, prevent convicted domestic abusers from buying firearms, and encourage red-flag laws that let judges take guns away from people deemed a risk to themselves or others. It may be a start, but it doesn’t include anything about assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, mandate background checks or raise the minimum age for semiautomatic rifles.

We will have to see if this will make any change or impact. As for us in the Philippines, I continue to pray for those impacted by the awful shooting tragedy, and I hope we can find better and more secure ways to keep people safe. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones.