People praying outside of the Amish school that was attacked on 2 October (AP/EMPICS)
Nine people have died and a further seven have been critically injured in US schools between 27 September and 2 October. In the last ten years, at least 261 children and 203 adults have been killed in school shootings around the world. A further 868 children and adults have been injured in these shootings. 38 of the 51 incidents took place in the US. Click here for details.
27 September: a 16-year old girl was shot and killed at the culmination of a hostage situation at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado. The assailant, who had taken six hostages, committed suicide by shooting himself. The gunman reportedly had two handguns, at least one of which was owned legally by one of his brothers. Click here for more information.
29 September: a head teacher was shot dead by a 15-year-old student at Weston High School in Cazenovia, Wisconsin. The student reportedly used guns legally owned by his parents.
2 October: a gunman took young girls hostage at a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County on 2 October. He lined them up and shot them in the head execution-style, before killing himself. Five of the girls have died and the remaining five are critically wounded.
Also on 2 October: a 15-year-old boy who had been expelled from his high school returned there Monday morning with an automatic pistol and an AK-47 assault rifle he had taken from his parents. He fled, and four public schools were locked down throughout the morning as the neighborhood around the high school was searched. No one was injured thanks to the quick response of school officials and police.
The US has by far the highest gun death rate in the developed world. More than 300 US companies produce arms and/or ammunition, and the country is estimated to have one of the world’s largest domestic markets for small arms. An estimated 34% of the nation’s 280 million citizens own personal firearms, and there are thought to be over 200 million firearms in private hands. For more information click here.
Less than a week before the latest shooting in Pennsylvania, gun control advocates had organised protests and lobbied state lawmakers in support of stronger gun laws, as the state legislature met in a special session on crime and violence. Gun violence has been a particular concern in Philadelphia, where 290 people have been killed in homicides so far this year. Recognising that guns do not respect borders, Mayer Michael Bloomberg of New York joined in the lobbying. "What happens in Pennsylvania or in any other state doesn’t stay in Pennsylvania or any other state," Bloomberg said. "We can’t fight illegal guns from behind state lines. This is a national problem requiring cities and states to work together."
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