NEW YORK: Gun violence has become a persistent and defining feature of life in the United States, erupting in homes, schools, workplaces and places of worship with alarming frequency. Despite repeated cycles of tragedy and debate, the problem shows little sign of abating.
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there were more than 488 mass shootings in 2024 — incidents in which four or more people were killed or injured, not including the gunman. For four consecutive years, the country has seen more than 600 mass shootings annually, nearly two a day on average.
Michigan church attack: a deadly example
The latest shock came on Sunday in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, where a gunman carried out a violent assault during a packed service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Authorities said 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford drove his vehicle into the church, opened fire with an assault rifle, and set the building ablaze before being killed by police. At least four people died and eight others were wounded.
Survivors described chaotic scenes as families tried to escape the burning building while others were trapped inside. “It’s very devastating for me,” said Paula, a local woman who lost friends and children she taught at Sunday school. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the attack, and U.S. President Donald Trump called it “horrendous.”
Firearms access and legal loopholes
The Grand Blanc attack marked the 324th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2025, according to the GVA. Analysts say America’s high levels of gun violence are tied directly to the easy availability of firearms. The U.S. has more guns than people, and its laws remain among the least restrictive in the developed world.
Federal loopholes allow many private firearm sales, including at gun shows or online, without background checks. Gun sales surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and times of political unrest, adding millions of weapons into circulation. Research consistently shows that states with looser gun laws experience more homicides and mass shootings.
Inequality, segregation, and exposure to violence
Gun violence is not evenly distributed. It is concentrated in communities marked by poverty, racial segregation, and inequality. Decades of systemic discrimination — including housing policies such as redlining — have left many neighbourhoods with fewer resources, weaker social cohesion, and higher exposure to violence.
Public health experts argue that durable solutions must include social investment in jobs, education, housing, and youth programmes. Without tackling these systemic drivers, they warn, vulnerable communities will continue to face disproportionate risks.
Mental health, crises, and substance abuse
While mental illness is often cited after mass shootings, research shows it accounts for only a small fraction of overall gun violence. Suicide, however, makes up more than half of all U.S. firearm deaths. Depression, substance abuse, and personal crises — from job loss to relationship breakdowns — are common triggers.
Many perpetrators of shootings are found to be in acute crisis in the days or weeks before their attack. Experts note that easy access to firearms during such moments can transform private struggles into public tragedies.
A polarised gun culture
Underlying the crisis is a uniquely American gun culture, rooted in the Second Amendment and fiercely defended by gun rights advocates. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other lobby groups have historically blocked or weakened attempts at reform in Congress, despite widespread public support for measures such as universal background checks.
Gun control advocates argue that without significant legislative change, mass shootings will only rise. Meanwhile, the polarised political environment has made consensus nearly impossible, leaving the U.S. an outlier among developed nations in both the frequency and scale of gun violence.
Counting mass shootings: competing definitions
Tracking mass shootings is complicated by the lack of a single, universal definition. CNN and the GVA define them as incidents in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the gunman, regardless of location or motive. Using this definition, the GVA reports over 300 mass shootings so far in 2025.
Other institutions apply narrower criteria. The Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, for example, only counts shootings in public or populated spaces, involving at least two victims, while excluding gang-related and terrorist incidents. By this measure, there have been 12 mass shootings in 2025.
This discrepancy highlights the challenges of assessing the scale of the crisis. But whether measured broadly or narrowly, the numbers remain staggering — underscoring what many experts call a uniquely American epidemic.
A cycle difficult to break
The Michigan church attack adds to a long list of tragedies — from schools and workplaces to shopping malls and parades — that have scarred communities across the U.S. Experts say solutions require not only stricter regulation and oversight of firearms but also systemic investment in mental health, social equity, and community safety.
Until political will and broader social reforms align, analysts warn, the cycle of violence is likely to continue — leaving the U.S. as the only developed nation where mass shootings are not the exception, but a recurring reality.
