september 8: Gun violence now impacting us

by Meliza Lara, Reporter

Local News, Op-Ed

Eighteen gunshots. The smell of gunpowder wafting up the noses of all the running kids. The route all those children and I had been walking through with no care in the world since elementary school. In an instant, a person who we all had grown up with was gone.

It happened on September 8, 2023 at about 6:30 AM. Three students who attended Kamiak were waiting for the bus when a black sedan pulled up to them. One of them was Bryan Tamayo-Franco. Before any of them had a chance to process what was happening, the driver rolled down the window, pulled out a gun, and shot Tamayo-Franco multiple times.

Upon seeing what had happened, the approaching kids ran. Some hid behind the sign of the mobile home park, Westridge Estates. When the car roared off, some kids even went to Tamayo-Franco to try and help him. They called 911, and police and ambulance were dispatched. Tamayo-Franco was taken to the hospital where he later died due to his injuries. It was a traumatic experience for everyone involved.

Two arrests were made, the suspects were charged with first degree murder, now held on a $5 million bail. The two suspects are Victor Torres Zuniga, 19, and Uriel Hernandez Martinez, 20. The motive for the shooting is believed to be related to ongoing gang rivalry. Even now, nearly three months later, flowers still lie at the site of the shooting. 

In places like Hardeson and Casino Road gang activity isn’t unheard of. Many residents live there because it has more affordable housing. In 2005, The Everett Herald described Casino Road as a place “known for crime and poverty,” though residents at the time claimed the area was “getting better” (Collins). Westridge Estates, the place of the shooting, stands right at the entrance to Hardeson Road. However, residents therein are still often considered a part of Casino Road..

More broadly, it is alarming to know that according to an article by CNN in 2022, in the US, there are about 393 million privately owned guns, not considering the illegal ones (Kaur). In other words, there are over 120 guns for every 100 Americans. More guns than humans. The US infamously holds the highest gun ownership rate of any country in the world, more than double the next country on the list.

The shooting of Bryan Tamayo-Franco has now impacted our school in a horrible way. This year, there “have been more mass shootings than days in 2023,” according to ABC News (Alfonseca). Shootings such as the one at Robb Elementary and the shooting of the outdoor shopping center in Allen have reached headlines. And now that my neighborhood and our school appear in relation to the shooting of a fifteen-year-old kid, we can see that this issue should have been addressed sooner.

So, why do Americans have the right to carry weapons like that? This issue goes back to the American Revolution. When the Americans gained their independence from Britain, in order to feel free and truly safe, they felt that adding “the right to bear arms” was necessary to their constitution, not knowing about the issues that right would cause hundreds of years later. The constitution is widely respected and emphasized throughout the US, and some would see it scandalous and difficult to change it now.

What could be other ways of fixing this problem? Students around the world are proposing solutions. Many have suggested a gun license, like the ones drivers have. This is my idea of a gun license: a person who wishes to use their right to bear arms would first need to have a background check. Any past indication of violence would immediately disqualify them, as would any history of mental health problems. They would also need to be put on a full week of probation. After this period, they would have to take a class and pass a test proving they can handle the gun. Next, they would have to be provided with a safe in which to keep the gun secure, and loaning a gun to someone without a license would result in confiscation of the gun and a large fine. Every year or so, they would have to repeat the same process.

While the process might be extensive, it may be the only way to ensure Americans have their constitutional rights while also preventing deaths like the one of our late fellow Knight, Bryan Tamayo-Franco. 

IN MEMORY OF BRYAN TAMAYO-FRANCO, 2007-2023.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet. 

Sources

Alfonseca, Kiara. “There Have Been More Mass Shootings than Days in 2023, Database Shows.” ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-shootings-days-2023-database-shows/story?id=96609874. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Collins, Chris. “Everett’s Casino Road No Longer Such a Bad Gamble.” HeraldNet.Com, 29 Oct. 2005, https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everetts-casino-road-no-longer-such-a-bad-gamble/.

Kaur, Harmeet. “What Studies Reveal about Gun Ownership in the US.” CNN, 2 June 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/02/us/gun-ownership-numbers-us-cec/index.html.