School shootings

The horror of another school shooting raises the questions of what can be done to prevent these events.

They happen in many countries, though the US seems to have far more than other countries, so people need to consider what is different there?

Guns are the general method for these killings and the reality is that there are so many out there that they can’t be removed from the formula. Australia tried to ban guns with a funded amnesty, but realistically only the “good guys” handed them in.

Information-gathering and sharing helps, although many of the people involved are lone operators and unsocial. Sadly, as seen recently, all information has to be shared and responded to.

Another Australian example shows the extremes schools will go to, as one has banned Uber Eats from delivering food to their students. The concern, a realistic one, is the delivery people wandering around schools without having signed in at the front office or shown any ID card. These people are effectively strangers, and maybe it’s time to remember the stranger-danger warnings.

The answer is – there seems to be no real answer. All good intentions and approaches haven’t succeeded to date. We still need to keep trying to make schools safer! DENNIS FITZGERALD

Melbourne, Australia