The head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says he fears that a drumbeat of mass shootings and other gun violence across the United States could make Americans numb to the bloodshed, fostering apathy to finding solutions rather than galvanizing communities to act.
Director Steve Dettelbach’s comments to The Associated Press came after he met this past week with family members of some of the 18 people killed in October at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine by a U.S. Army reservist who later took his own life.
He said people must not accept that gun violence is a prevalent part of American life.
Missouri here. I just got done working at a walmart for 6 years. In the time i was there 2 different people had been shot by police in front of the store. I personally saw a gun get pulled right in front of my department in a huge argument but luckily the cop was just showing up over the screaming. A little bit before I left someone pulled a gun on the guy who brings your shit to your car because he took too long. That’s just there. I have also been held up at gunpoint once and also had a random car shoot at me as it drove past.
Hearing gunshots outside is such a boring common thing I don’t even pause my game unless it sounds like its right outside, which happens a few times a year. Usually thats just people firing ‘for fun’ but about 5 months ago someone was killed in my apts parking lot.