Reports have it that a student was wounded during the incident.
Sadly, what is hard to comprehend is the fact that how can a ‘grade two student’ have the audacity to get hold of a pistol and open fire in the school.
This, many believed, only goes to show the country’s lapses in ensuring that guns coming into the country are registered and accounted for.
However, the incident has not only sent shock waves, but created more room to debate about the state of the country’s security.
Though it is the first reported case in the country especially at a lower basic school, the unfortunate episode tells a lot about the slow but emerging nature of gun violence in the country.
It involves a minor and the motive behind the incident still remains sketchy; however, authorities need to set an example to deter others.
Illegal possession of firearms in the country is increasing and becoming an issue. Guns should be handled in such a way that even minors can’t have access to them in our homes and other places.
This issue would have been even more catastrophic if the shooter was so brave or had other targets considering at the population of the school.
Another issue of concern is his age. How can a grade two pupil just manage to sneak a gun and take it to school? Where are the parents?
This could in fact result in parents withdrawing their children from the said school for safety concerns on that particular day. And they have all the right to do so.
Therefore, parents have a big role to play in the proper upbringing of their children. Children need to be nurtured and disciplined as they grow up to face society.
Parents cannot leave the entire domestic disciplinary roles to the women. Indeed, women are great teachers, but sometimes they have their limitations and that makes the male role more important.
To the authorities, this issue needs to be investigated thoroughly to get to the bottom of the case. Also, putting stringent and firm policies with regard to issuing licenses for guns would greatly help in curbing the illegal possession of guns in the country.
Evidently, the continued proliferation of guns into the country has the tendency to propel the country’s crime rate.
As a country, there is a need to put in firm policies that will regulate licenses and importation of guns into the country.
However, we do know that gun smuggling sometimes involves many stakeholders and the use of the country’s porous border. But should that be an issue to allow proliferation of guns into the country? Every gun that comes to town must be licensed and accounted for to keep our country safe.
Until such measures are taken into consideration, the issue of illegal gun possession will be a talking issue for years.