School Shooting Prevention Recommendations

Minnesota is fortunate to have numerous organizations engaged in impactful gun violence advocacy, conducting excellent research and advocacy aimed at stopping school shootings and reducing gun violence. It is crucial to continue researching, advocating, voting, and demanding action from elected officials through platforms like StopSchoolShootingsUSA.com, Hamline University, the Violence Prevention Project, Protect Minnesota, and many other organizations listed in the Resource Section. Support responsible gun safety by voting with your wallet for stores like Walmart and Dick's, which have implemented sensible gun procedures. Share this information and other studies with your friends via email, and consider including this research in book club reading lists or your personal reading list. Special efforts are needed to thoroughly understand what the Second Amendment is and is not, especially in the context of school safety recommendations.

The Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to "keep and bear arms," stating that "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and Bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) affirmed that this right pertains to individuals possessing firearms for lawful purposes, such as self-defense, rather than solely for service in a militia. When engaging in Second Amendment discussions, we must question the implications of this amendment concerning military-grade weapons and their use by individuals with undeveloped frontal lobes, particularly those under age 25. The Second Amendment was written in 1789 and ratified in 1791, during a time when the primary weapon was a musket that required several minutes to reload. Fast forward to 2025, and the weapons that could be used in violent incidents may include nuclear arms, missiles, and drones. Charlton Heston’s renowned NRA quote about "not taking a weapon from his cold dead hands" refers to a revolutionary war musket, which took at least three minutes to reload, not an assault rifle that can complete an average mass school shooting in under three minutes with frangible bullets against Geneva Convention rules.

Importantly, the Second Amendment does not grant the right to use any weapon indiscriminately. Existing laws establish different age requirements and prohibit certain types of weapons. Negligent Entrustment is a tort claim in which the entrustor (the person giving the item) can be held liable for the injuries caused by the entrusted (the person receiving the item). A key element is the entrustor's knowledge or reasonable expectation that the entrustee is likely to use the dangerous item in a manner that poses a risk of harm to themselves or others. It is scientifically accepted that individuals under age 25 lack the necessary frontal lobe development, contributing significantly to violent and aggressive behavior. Firearms are classified as dangerous instrumentalities, and providing them to someone known to be incompetent—such as a minor (with an underdeveloped frontal lobe), ex-felon, or someone with known addiction issues—should result in liability and regulatory constraints.