On February 17th, 2023, two children died, as a little girl shoots boy then herself.
12-year-old Paris Harvey fatally shot her 14-year-old cousin Kuaron Harvey during a festive birthday party. After shooting her cousin, Paris immediately shoots herself back while broadcasting the incident live on Instagram.
The tragic incidents took place in an apartment in St. Louis, Missouri. At first, the tragedy was referred to as a murder-suicide, but Paris’ mother disagreed with such accusations. She told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the incident was no murder nor a suicide and that the kids’ deaths were only the result of a freak accident.
Several people, including the victims’ families, watched the live feed. The event raised concerns about the role of social media in encouraging gun violence and mental health issues among young people, even though the precise reason for the shooting is yet unknown.
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According to William Frey’s research, social media platforms offer insights into exposure to community violence. The research shows how it could affect young people’s mental health as their lives increasingly transition online.
Simply put, exposure to social media may impact youth violence due to the abundance of easily accessible digital products and materials. That would include movies, videos, and images that might reveal upsetting activities that kids can view without adult supervision.
Gun violence among young people in the US is continually increasing, making it one of the main concerns in the country. In 2020, it surpassed car crashes to become the No. 1 cause of mortality for children and teens in the US.
Social media can raise awareness similar to how it might encourage young children to commit violent crimes. Slowly educating kids and teenagers that such behavior is wrong can somehow prevent further similar incidents from happening. Social media can change these tendencies and produce useful solutions.
Apart from using social media to raise awareness, the government must see that stricter gun control regulations are implemented. Improved mental health services for youth are another effective preventative measure.
Schools may offer regular counseling to students, and parents can have open conversations about these subjects with their kids to teach them about the safe use of firearms.
The tragic incident when the little girl shoots boy then herself has been a crucial high point for spreading gun violence awareness in modern times. Now it’s our time to spread the message and be part of the change.