California killings call for more gun control
- Two separate bloody incidents over Lunar New Year struck at the heart of the American-Asian community underlining the need to get tougher on weapons
Lunar New Year should have been a time of celebration for residents of Monterey Park, near Los Angeles. The town’s festivities are among the largest in California. But tragedy struck when a gunman went on the rampage at a dance club, killing 11 and injuring nine before shooting himself. At least one victim was a Chinese citizen. China’s embassy and consulates in the US flew flags at half mast, as did the White House. A spokesman for the Chinese mission described the attack as “shocking and very regretful”.
Sadly, another mass shooting was soon to follow. Seven people were killed and another injured at two locations in Half Moon Bay, 50km from San Francisco. Chinese farm workers were among the victims. The gunman has been arrested. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, lamented “tragedy after tragedy” on social media.
The Monterey Park shooting sparked fears of a hate crime among members of the town’s majority Asian-American community. This is understandable, as there has been a disturbing number of racially motivated attacks on Asians in the United States. But both Lunar New Year attacks were perpetrated by Asian men. The alleged killer at Half Moon Bay is a Chinese immigrant. No motives have been established yet. So it is important not to jump to conclusions.
These tragedies add to a grim list of mass shootings in the US in recent times. There have been 40 this year. The long-standing debate about the lack of gun control continues.
In May, after the shooting of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas school, US President Joe Biden said: “I am sick and tired of it. We have to act.”
New laws were passed the following month, but they do not go far enough. Biden has called for a ban on the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But with a divided legislature and strong gun lobby, progress remains unlikely.
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Meanwhile, communities such as those in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay will continue to grieve. The gun lobby argues it is people, not firearms, that kill. But the wide availability of guns makes it easier for those with a propensity to commit mass killings to do so. The tragedies will continue unless control is tightened.
