US vice-presidential debate: Walz, Vance decry shootings in schools but differ on gun policies

The US Vice Presidential debate between Democratic nominee Tim Walz and Republican’s JD Vance saw the former sharing a deeply personal story about his teenage son witnessing a shooting at a recreation centre near his St. Paul high school.

The revelation inadvertently drew attention to the ongoing and often controversial discussion about gun violence in America.

While addressing a question about the epidemic of gun violence, Walz recounted the harrowing experience, stating, “Those things don’t leave you.”

His son, Gus Walz, was present at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center when a 26-year-old employee shot a teenager in January of last year, an incident that has since resonated with many families across the country.

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Walz’s Republican opponent from Ohio, Senator JD Vance, expressed his surprise and sympathy: “Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting. And I’m sorry about that. Christ have mercy. It is awful.”

Walz, on his part said that such experiences are all too common, stating, “Too many of us have this,” and citing a significant issue surrounding gun violence: “The gross majority — close to 90 per cent — of the gun violence in this country is committed with illegally obtained firearms.”

Vance, when asked about curbing mass shootings, reiterated his support for increased school security measures, arguing for stronger doors and more school resource officers. “I don’t want my kids to go to school in a school that feels unsafe,” he stated, voicing the need for practical security enhancements.

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Conversely, Walz highlighted the importance of finding effective solutions without infringing on Second Amendment rights. He referenced international examples, particularly Finland, where school shootings are virtually non-existent despite high gun ownership rates. “There are reasonable things that we can do to make a difference. It’s not infringing on your Second Amendment,” Walz remarked.

He also pushed back against the notion of turning schools into fortified environments, questioning, “Is that where we have to go, when we know there are countries around the world that their children aren’t practicing these types of drills? They’re being kids. We owe it to them to get a fix.”

As per a story by USA Today, the United States, representing 33 per cent of the population among 36 Western countries, accounts for a staggering 76 per cent of public mass shootings and 70 per cent of the fatalities from those incidents between 2000 and 2022, according to a February report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government.