Colorado school shooting sparks renewed gun control debate

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(The Center Square) – Colorado policymakers are divided on how to respond in the wake of last week’s school shooting that left one dead and two hospitalized.

“Our kids, our teachers, and our communities continue to pay the price for failed policy and inaction. This was preventable,” said U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colorado. “How many lives do we need to lose before we are willing to say enough? Our kids deserve so much better.”

On Wednesday afternoon, 16-year-old Desmond Holly shot two fellow high school students at Evergreen High School, which is nestled in the foothills about 30 miles west of Denver.

Holly, who authorities said was “radicalized by some extremist network,” later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Both victims were left in critical condition following the shooting. There have been no recent reports on their current condition.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said, “Enough is enough.”

“This kind of violence has no place in Colorado, especially our schools where kids should feel safe to learn and grow,” Polis said. “No family should ever fear for their child's life as they send them to school.”

While many called for unity after the shooting, some Colorado politicians argued more gun control is necessary.

“Every day across this country, parents drop our children off at school fearing that we may never see them again. Far too many Coloradans have felt the unbearable pain of having those fears realized,” said state Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “As we keep those impacted in our thoughts and prayers, we must also continue to organize for a world where violence is not an expected part of our society, where life matters more than guns, and where our kids can focus on learning without fear.”

Others responded to the calls for more gun control, pointing out Colorado already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation.

In fact, Colorado is considered one of the top states in the nation for “gun law strength,” according to a report from Everytown Research, a gun violence prevention organization. In the last five years alone, Colorado has enacted over 30 different gun laws.

Despite those laws, gun violence in the state remains higher than the national average. Nationally, there are 13.7 gun deaths per 100,000 residents. In Colorado, that number is 16.6.

In the aftermath of the Evergreen shooting, some pointed this out.

“Which of the many gun control laws Colorado already has failed here?” George Brauchler, the district attorney for the 23rd Judicial District in Colorado, asked in response to Zokaie's post. “Which gun control laws do you believe would have prevented the horrible shooting at Evergreen HS?”

Instead of more gun laws, some argue more school security would be a more effective way to prevent violence.

“We have the answer,” said Laura Carno, executive director of FASTER Colorado, a school safety advocacy group. “We’ve tried making schools ‘gun-free’ zones for decades, and we see the results. It’s time to try something new. Children deserve to be protected by the protocols that have resulted in zero school shootings: hand-picked, well-trained, volunteer armed staff.”