I live in Scotland. I am 65 years old.
Until 1987, when I was 31, the UK had never experienced a mass shooting. However, on 19th August of that year, we had our first one (Hungerford) where Michael Ryan shot 16 people dead, then turned the gun on himself. This was in a small town and didn't include any of the schools.
The next one was the Dunblane school shooting, in 1996. (16 children, 1 teacher and the gunman Thomas Hamilton died).
We haven't had another school shooting since then. In 2010, a man called Derrick Byrd shot his twin brother and the family solicitor dead, then a work colleague who he didn't much like, before roaming around Cumbria and shooting randomly at people. There were 13 deaths, including Byrd's suicide.
That's it. I just SMH over the vast number of shootings in America. They just don't happen here, and our police are unarmed, too.
Coming to an American city near you..lol
Actually the worst incident I remember about Scotland isn't a shooting, it's when the helicopter crashed on top of a nightclub. So sad.
Unfortunately we have to add the Plymouth murders.
But whatever, UK gun regulation mostly keeps us safe, and I'm so grateful.
I live in Scotland now too. I’m from Ireland originally and I remember the nation’s horror at the time, how could this have happened?!
There is a great article in the Smithsonian Magazine.
“Laws were changed, handguns were banned and the level of gun violence in Britain is now one of the lowest in the world.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-1996-dunblane-massacre-pushed-uk-enact-stricter-gun-laws-180977221/
I am older and it hasn't always been this way. There were seven mass shootings on July 4, America's birthday. It's sickening and heartbreaking.
I bet that shooter was a stupid fucking christian.
Alba gu brath! Is mise Tess.
Be careful. A lot of us might try to swim over and get back in. Tha beagan Gaidhlig agam. Blend, baby, blend.
We're insane here in the US. It's absolutely fucking incomprehensible to me. Maybe I should move to Scotland.