Since the beginning of 2015, there have been more mass shootings than the days of the year and sadly, no effective action has been taken by any authorities. At the beginning of December, an armed couple killed 14 and wounded 21 people during a holiday festival at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. The shooters have been identified as Syed Rizwan Farookh and Tashfeen Malik. At the time of the shooting, it was the 353rd mass shooting incident in 336 days. Currently, the USA is at the top of the list for the most mass shootings in the world. There have been 40,000 gun violence incidents so far this year.

Research shows that most shooters are mentally ill, which is part of the reason why mass shootings occur. According to The Washington Post, statistics show that the number of mentally ill people in the United States has increased along with the number of mass shootings. There are mentally ill people all over the world, not just the USA, so why is this epidemic of mass murders happening here? Guns are easier to access in the USA than other countries. This country has the most number of guns; the second is Australia. Australia hasn’t had a mass shooting since 1996.

Individuals, and individual desires that are unique to Americans, are most likely to blame. The desire for fame is strong in Americans. Blame it on the Kardashians. According to Scientific American, most Americans have a desire for fame and riches. Even worse, they think they have what it takes to be famous. With the help of the media, fame seems within every citizen’s grasp.

According to Business Insider, most mass murderers do it because they are depressed, angry and humiliated by the world. The world is not giving them the attention they seek. They will get that attention one way or another.

With so many mass murders happening in America, people are demanding for the authorities and the government to ban the ownership of guns and to pass strict laws concerning the use of guns. Recently, The New York Times published it’s first front page editorial  since 1920. It called on politicians to ban certain kinds of weapons and ammunition. The publisher said they broke the almost 100 year rule as a statement on how the nation has failed to protect it’s citizens.

President Barack Obama made a statement last week which said that no matter how effective America’s intelligence forces are, they cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether they are influenced by ISIS or any other hateful ideology. He also said, “what we can do – and must do – is make it harder for them to kill.”

To sum it all up, guns kill 33,000 people a year in the United States. According to The Washington Post, this won’t stop the mass murders. Making more reformed and polished laws against guns will certainly not stop the next mass shooting or terrorist attack. It will stop gun related homicides in the USA. So, there is that. What will stop the mass murders? Is there any hope they can be stopped?

The only way to stop this seems to be to stop making fame so desirable, and so attainable through social media and the instant news we now have.