MALAIKA MAHLATSI: Attempted assassination on Trump the outcome of poor gun control in America

At 18h02 on Saturday, the 13^th of July 2024, former United States president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took the stage at a campaign rally in Butler Farms in the state of Pennsylvania.

Just nine minutes later, a short burst of gunfire is heard while he delivered his speech. A few seconds later, more gunshots could be heard.

Secret service agents immediately rushed to the stage to shield him as confusion ensued in the crowd. Shortly thereafter, with blood streaming down his right ear, Trump is taken off the stage by his security detail. Before he scurries off, he raises his fist and shouts: “Fight! Fight!” – to applause from the bewildered crowd.

In a space of a few minutes, an attempt was made on the life of a former president, an innocent 50-year-old man who was seated among the audience was killed, two other people were critically wounded, and the shooter was mortally wounded by Secret Service snipers.

Reports would later emerge that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was just 20 years old. More ammunition was found in his vehicle – including materials used in the construction of a bomb.

World leaders have condemned the senseless violence, with many stating that such action is an affront to the democratic values that the West prides itself on.

Analysts have tried to make sense of what the assassination attempt might mean for the US presidential election scheduled for later this year. An interesting article by Christopher Rhodes, published by Al Jazeera, reflects on the polarising narratives that are finding expression, including the conspiracy theories that have emerged on both sides of the political divide.

On one hand are Trump supporters, who argue that the assassination attempt was intended to get him off the presidential race that they believe he is sure to win.

On the other are Trump detractors, who speculate that it was all staged – an attempt to cement the idea that he is being persecuted by the Joe Biden administration that he’s supposedly a threat to.

They believe that he wants to use the assassination attempt to gain sympathy from the American electorate.

Back in 1981, Ronald Reagan was also shot in an assassination attempt. Three years later, he became the president of the United States. Some still argue that the assassination attempt provided him with a much-needed sympathy card that would see him occupy the White House.

In this sense, the argument that an assassination attempt could decide the vote has historical reference. But from where I sit, there’s an even bigger issue that demands reflection, and that is the carnage of gun violence in the USA.

A 2023 study by Everytown Research indicates that there are almost 78,000 licenced gun dealers in the USA – and a significantly high number of unlicenced ones.

The ammunitions industry makes a significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product.

According to a report published by IBIS World titled Gun Ammunition Stores in the US – Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024 – 2029), ammunition industry revenue is estimated to increase an annualised 5.5% to $18.5 billion over the next five years. In 2023 alone, the increase was almost 2%.

There is a proportional relationship between increase in gun ownership and gun violence. According to the American Public Health Association, guns kill more than 48,000 people annually in the USA.

In 2022, firearm injuries were among the five leading causes of death for people ages 1 to 44.

Guns are also at the heart of mass shootings in the USA. As of the 2^nd of July, 277 people were killed and 1132 injured in 261 recorded mass shootings. Depressingly, a significant number of these mass shootings happen in learning institutions – including elementary schools.

Just two years ago, 17 children and 2 teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary School in the Texas town of Uvalde, leaving the world in complete shock. The oldest victims in that mass shooting, Maranda Gail Mathis and Layla Marie Salazar, were only 11. They are few of many victims of gun violence in a country that is, without question, one of the most violent places in the world.

There is clear evidence demonstrating that strict gun control measures reduce rates of gun violence.

For example, Japan, a country with a population of just over 125 million, has an annual gun death rate in the single digits. In 2023, only seven people died in gun deaths. Furthermore, only nine cases of discharging a firearm were reported.

The reason for this comes down to the very strict gun laws that have been in place in the country for decades. Gun ownership in Japan is extremely rare – so rare, in fact, that even the police do not often brandish guns, despite having access to them.

It’s extremely difficult to acquire a firearm licence in Japan. Gun licence applicants undergo lengthy and thorough background checks and a comprehensive mental health evaluation. Additionally, they’re legally obligated to take written test and shooting range tests, as well as renew their licences ever three years. Other strict measures are also applied.

In the USA, on the other hand, across many states, one can walk into a store and purchase a gun within minutes. The country is reluctant to enact gun control laws. At the heart of this reluctance is the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, which states that citizens have the right to bear arms.

The gun lobby is extremely powerful and has managed to ensure that even in states where gun laws are relatively stricter, there is no outright prohibition of gun ownership. But as gun laws are different for each state, it’s nearly impossible to eradicate gun violence, because residents can simply go across state lines to purchase guns – including semi-automatic firearms.

These types of high-powered weapons are designed for to cause maximum damage on their targets. In many countries, along with assault rifles, they’re only used by armies. But in the USA, people can access these weapons with relative ease – whether by purchasing them or through relatives.

Reports indicate that Crooks, Trump’s would-be assassin, used his father’s AR-style rifle in the shooting.

The attempted assassination of Trump cannot be looked at in isolation from the gun violence that has become the face of the USA.

Even if its motivations are political, the fact of the matter is that gun access played a huge role in it. The debate on gun control in the USA must transcend political ideologies if gun carnage is ever going to be eliminated.

Until then, more 20-year-olds will be in possession of AR-15s and AK-47s, and will use them on elementary school children and presidential hopefuls alike.