In Highland Park, Illinois, on Tuesday, July 5, a gunman drew a gun at the Fourth of July parade and shot and killed seven people and left countless more wounded. This type of mass shooting has now become more and more frequent in the country, and people are now wondering if parents have more to do with the attacks than once thought.
While millions across the nation worry that their children could become victims of a shooting, parents whose children are responsible for these shootings experience a shockingly different and concerning ordeal.
The parents of the 21-year-old suspect of the Highland Park shooting have come under scrutiny and accusations after the shooting, which is not uncommon. Parents of the shooters are often blamed for enabling the attacks by ignoring warning signs, not alerting authorities before an attack, and allowing their children, almost always sons, to have access to deadly weapons. Under the scorn and accusations of other people, many parents choose to leave their homes and disappear.
“It’s terrifying enough to think you might be the victim of some random piece of violence,” remarked Andrew Solomon, an author who interviewed parents of the shooter who attacked Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary. “But to think you might be called out for not knowing, that your child had caused this, is also a terrible fate.”
Despite the fact that the father of the Highland Park shooter allowed his son to apply for a firearms license, he still claimed that: “I had no — not an inkling, warning — that this was going to happen,” Bobby Crimo Jr., the shooter’s father, told ABC News. “I am just shocked.
Now that the country’s deadliest shootings are being executed by shooters in their teens and early 20s, researchers are now turning to parents to understand the role they play in their sons’ actions and how they could have stopped them.
“It’s some uncharted territory of how much responsibility parents are going to be held for their kids’ behavior,” commented Frank Kaminski, the police chief in Park Ridge, Illinois. “I’m all for holding everyone accountable for guns,” he continued.
Researchers found that parents of disturbed children often do not know how to help their kids. An example of a case like this is the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012. The 20-year-old gunman’s mother did not follow the doctor’s instructions to get mental health treatment before the shooting, and also involuntarily caused the shooting by not restricting his access to weapons. The mother was later one of the 27 people her son killed.
Almost everyday, a shocking 110 or more Americans are killed by gunfire, and more than 200 are wounded. An average of 40,620 people die of intentional shooting each year. The impact not only includes the casualties, but also the witnesses and the family members of the people that died. The aftermath of shootings is far-reaching and devastating for everyone.
Link to Article: After Another Mass Shooting, Questions Loom About the Role of Parents – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Other Sources: Highland Park alleged shooter’s father says he is not culpable for son’s attack – ABC News (go.com)
Gun Violence in America | Everytown Research & Policy | Everytown Research & Policy
While millions across the nation worry that their children could become victims of a shooting, parents whose children are responsible for these shootings experience a shockingly different and concerning ordeal.
The parents of the 21-year-old suspect of the Highland Park shooting have come under scrutiny and accusations after the shooting, which is not uncommon. Parents of the shooters are often blamed for enabling the attacks by ignoring warning signs, not alerting authorities before an attack, and allowing their children, almost always sons, to have access to deadly weapons. Under the scorn and accusations of other people, many parents choose to leave their homes and disappear.
“It’s terrifying enough to think you might be the victim of some random piece of violence,” remarked Andrew Solomon, an author who interviewed parents of the shooter who attacked Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary. “But to think you might be called out for not knowing, that your child had caused this, is also a terrible fate.”
Despite the fact that the father of the Highland Park shooter allowed his son to apply for a firearms license, he still claimed that: “I had no — not an inkling, warning — that this was going to happen,” Bobby Crimo Jr., the shooter’s father, told ABC News. “I am just shocked.
Now that the country’s deadliest shootings are being executed by shooters in their teens and early 20s, researchers are now turning to parents to understand the role they play in their sons’ actions and how they could have stopped them.
“It’s some uncharted territory of how much responsibility parents are going to be held for their kids’ behavior,” commented Frank Kaminski, the police chief in Park Ridge, Illinois. “I’m all for holding everyone accountable for guns,” he continued.
Researchers found that parents of disturbed children often do not know how to help their kids. An example of a case like this is the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012. The 20-year-old gunman’s mother did not follow the doctor’s instructions to get mental health treatment before the shooting, and also involuntarily caused the shooting by not restricting his access to weapons. The mother was later one of the 27 people her son killed.
Almost everyday, a shocking 110 or more Americans are killed by gunfire, and more than 200 are wounded. An average of 40,620 people die of intentional shooting each year. The impact not only includes the casualties, but also the witnesses and the family members of the people that died. The aftermath of shootings is far-reaching and devastating for everyone.
Link to Article: After Another Mass Shooting, Questions Loom About the Role of Parents – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Other Sources: Highland Park alleged shooter’s father says he is not culpable for son’s attack – ABC News (go.com)
Gun Violence in America | Everytown Research & Policy | Everytown Research & Policy
