Reflecting on the Uvalde Mass Shooting as a Latino, Entrepreneur and Father

“You can’t rent a car until you’re 25 years old. You can’t buy alcohol until you’re 21. But an 18 year old kid can go buy a rifle at 18? And takeaway those babies’ lives . . . take away my sister’s life.?Something needs to change, I am tired of it, and everyone else should be too.“

Faith Mata, Sister of Tess Mata, an Uvalde shooting victim?

I deeply mourn the death of 19 children and 2 adults, mostly Latin@s, killed in the Uvalde mass shooting. As a Latino, entrepreneur and father; this tragedy has forced me to reflect on the realities of our situation and our failures as a nation to react and prevent mass shootings going forward.

I am equally compelled (and I strongly encourage others to do the same) to take a point of view. I recognize why leaders in business, sports and communities, are at times reluctant to engage in a polarizing topic that divides a nation.?Yet ironically, most Americans, including gun owners, agree that furthering gun control is needed.?We just can’t seem to figure out what that means and how best to do it.?Even worse, we let the extreme views on both sides of the argument control the message and gridlock our ability to find consensus.

In this spirit, I’d like to share research on where there is consensus on gun control policies, while sharing a point of view on what solutions need to be prioritized and re-thought, based on empirical data on mass shoots from 1966 to 2019.

Disclaimer: I am by no means an authority on the subject. I am simply an American Latino, Entrepreneur and Father who doesn’t want to worry about taking my daughter to school.?I am simply trying to figure out where we can make progress vs letting this issue dissipate from the headlines with no solutions, while the body count of our children continues to climb to historical highs.

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An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in 2019 shows Americans have broad census in two gun control policies:

• Extensive background checks. 89% of Americans support requiring extensive background checks?
• Red flag laws. 86% of American support red flag laws. A proposed bill would allow family members or law enforcement officers to "petition for an extreme risk protection order with respect to an individual who poses a risk to themselves or others.” ?

Other policies where is isn’t as much consensus among American according to polls:

• 60% support banning high-capacity magazines
• 56% support banning assault weapon sales?
• 52% support mandatory assault weapon buyback programs

So how do we narrow which solutions, or combination of solutions, move the needle?

Putting my data driven hat, I looked for research.?The National Institute of Justice, the research agency of the Department of Justice, published research in February 2022 that collects a comprehensive database and findings of mass shootings that killed 4 or more people, from 1966 to 2019. ?

Here are some research highlights:

• Mass shoots are trending up.?The research spanned over 50 years, yet over 50% of mass shootings occurred after 2000 with 16 of the 20 most deadliest shootings occurred between 1999 and 2019, and 8 of those 16 occurred between 2014 and 2019
• Suicidality was found to be a strong predictor of perpetration of mass shootings. In particular, among younger shooters K-12 or college students, this cohort was +90% suicidal
• Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers
• Handguns are more prominent in mass shoots (77.2% of verified instances), and 25.1% used assault rifle
• 77% of those who engaged in mass shootings purchased at least some of their guns legally, while illegal purchases were made by 13% of those committing mass shootings. In cases involving K-12 school shootings, over 80% of individuals who engaged in shootings stole guns from family members
• Most individuals who perpetrated mass shootings had a prior criminal record (64.5%) and a history of violence (62.8%), including domestic violence (27.9%)

Based on the research above, here are suggested areas of focus and open questions:

• Address the root of the problem, mental illness of our youth, trauma and suicidal tendencies.?Recognizing mental health issues is the first step. Now we need to ensure our schools and communities are resourced appropriately to raise awareness and tackle these issues.?We also need to ensure our healthcare system offers the appropriate coverage to cover costs associated with managing mental health.
• Extended background checks work, but it’s not that simple.?Today’s background checks are supported by public record, such as someone’s criminal history to assess whether or not the prospective buyer of a weapon poses a threat.?Using the case of the Uvalde shooter, it seems he did not have a criminal record and on paper, did not pose a threat.?As a data driven entrepreneur, who has used the power of social data to build a business, I wonder if we could also apply a similar principle in expanding background checks. How can we modernize the background checking system to captivate social media data? ?
• Red flag laws could move the needle when simplicity, responsiveness, and system coordination are critical design principles. The imperial data on mass shooting supports red flag laws permitting law enforcement or family members to petition a state court to order temporary removal of a firearm from a person who presents a danger.?Now put yourselves in the shoes of a parent??How hard would it be for you to flag your son or daughter as a potential threat??How can we flag without accusing or staining what could be a troubled teen’s reputation??And if the threat is real, how can law enforcement react quick enough to remove weapons, or coordinate with background check solutions to avoid the purchase of weapons? ??

Some other simpler solutions (from an outsider’s perspective):

• Regulate, verify, and enforce appropriate storage of weapons at home
• 25 years old minimum age to purchase a fire arm

I hope you found these reflections and research helpful. At minimum it's helped me develop of framework with which I plan actively engage my local, state, and federal representatives.

How do you plan to engage? Comments and broader reactions are welcome below.