Dear future President,

Gun violence has been a problem for many years. I want to know what you will do to

stop it. There have been seven deadly mass shootings in the past nine years. In the past 16

years, there have been 32 shootings that have either killed or injured many people. There are

forty-five states that allow open carry for firearms. There are five states that have laws banning

open carry for handguns: California, Florida, Illinois, New York and South Carolina. The worst

shooting ever to be recorded was in June 13, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. President Obama said,

“This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands

on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school or in a house of worship or a movie theater

or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to

actively do nothing is a decision as well.”

The United States suffered the worst mass shooting in it’s modern history when fifty

people were killed and fifty-three injured in Orlando, Florida, after a gunman stormed into a

packed nightclub. The gunman was killed by a SWAT team after taking hostages at Pulse, a

popular gay club. He was identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen. The massacre happened

when the night was wrapping up at the Pulse around 2 a.m. with about 320 people dancing to

the music. Minutes later partiers were fleeing into the street. Some clutched gunshot wounds,

others were splattered with the blood of people they didn’t know. Some were carried to safety

and others were trapped, hiding in the nightclub. By sunrise, 50 people lay dead and 53 more

were injured – the deadliest shooting in American history.

Last night, two police officers were killed in the Des Moines area while sitting in their

cars. This is very concerning to me since my family and I go to Des Moines quite often and only

live 30 miles away. The officials think these officers were ambushed while sitting in their cars

and not even under confrontation. I understand the people who do these things are not thinking

straight, but it’s time to figure out how to prevent these terrible situations.

Please let me know how you will help end gun violence and prevent further unnecessary

deaths in our country.

Sincerely,

Kassidy B.