Blaming mental instability for every shooting is an easy trap to fall into. I’ve had plenty of conversations that start with, “Hey how can they not be mentally deranged when they are doing that?” Next time you hear that, remember these details.

Understanding the numbers is the first step to ending gun violence. Take a look at two very credible databases that tally those killed and wounded in schools since 2013 to understand how they come to such widely differing numbers of casualties. One database finds a total of 188 casualties. The other tallies 1,229. If that seems a wide divide, consider that around the same time U.S. News and World Report reported that 346 school shootings in 2023 in the U.S. alone.

I mention this group of grandparents, however, because they are not typical. They don't have leadership created out of gun violence. They don't tiptoe down their sidewalks afraid of stepping out the door. They aren't saying goodbye at the bus stop and hoping their child comes back each day.

The story is a stark reminder of how willing we are to believe what people say instead of believing the facts in front of us. Often we don't want to rock the boat or challenge someone. When that attitude prevails, people who see something choose not to say something. And, tragedy follows.

You may not be a podcast listener but I'm about to change your mind and send you running for your headphones. We recently released an enthralling podcast episode with school vice principal, Heather, who shared how she and others averted a school shooting in Utah.

We are all struggling to combat firearms violence but there is little consensus on what is the magic mix of law and policy. Now, recently released research validates that collective changes in law and policy can result in an aggregate reduction in gun violence. But only if the changes remain in place.