Gun violence killed more than 42,000 Americans this year. Will 2023 be different?

In total, 42,981. That’s how many Americans have been killed by gun violence so far this year. Of those, more than 650 were killed in at least 626 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The shooting sprees are so frequent that we come to know them by short, simple names: Brooklyn subway, Buffalo supermarket, Uvalde, Highland Park, Raleigh, University of Virginia, Colorado Springs, Chesapeake Walmart. It’s unspeakably sad that I’ve probably said each name more than I’ve said the names of my colleagues in The Independent’s New York City bureau this year. These tragedies dominate our day-to-day; each time one passes, we’re watching out for the next one. If you asked me to summarise the news of 2022 in one word, my first thought would be: “Shooting.”

I know I’m betraying the spirit of the season somewhat by dedicating an editor’s letter just a couple days before Christmas to such a depressing topic. But we can’t forget that this month, almost 43,000 people won’t be going home for the holidays, their absence felt acutely by their loved ones. And as we ring in another new year, we have to ask: will 2023 finally bring the gun control we need so desperately?

I’ll be honest – it’s very hard to be optimistic. Burned in my mind is an image that circulates the internet after every massacre depicting an unbroken cycle: mass shooting – thoughts and prayers – Facebook debates – everyone forgets – Congress does nothing – crickets chirping – mass shooting.

In a country where 71 per cent of the population supports stricter gun laws, according to a major August poll, it’s downright unacceptable that we keep having years like this, that the statistics are actually getting worse, and that little to nothing concrete is being done to stop it on the legislative level. North of our border, in Canada, more is being done as a result of American gun violence than inside the US. In October, a handgun ban was instituted by Prime Minister Trudeau across Canada. Trudeau announced that he was investigating the move in May, after the Uvalde school shooting in Texas. In just five short months, what US politicians say is impossible was achieved.

But going into the new year, I’m determined to fight the crushing feeling of hopeless defeat. While I’m not sure how that fight will play out, I know the worst thing we can do is give up hope and accept the status quo. As journalists, we work to bring you the news about these tragic events – but we also work to campaign and investigate how we can prevent them from ever happening again. Expect to see more of that from The Independent’s US offices in 2023.

Yours,

Megan Sheets

US news editor