The Facts
On Tuesday, two people were killed and five others injured when a man armed with four handguns opened fire at a crowd outside a high school graduation ceremony in Virginia.
A 19-year-old suspect, believed to have known at least one of the victims, was taken into custody and arraigned Wednesday on two charges of second-degree murder, according to the city's interim police chief Rick Edwards. He's being held without bail.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The latest shooting is a depressing reminder of the reality of 21st-century America, a country with an average of more than one mass shooting per week. Gun violence isn't so prevalent in any industrialized country outside of war and conflict zones as in the US. Yet as the GOP lacks the political will to support decisive gun control measures to protect US citizens, the killings will continue.
Republican narrative
Depriving law-abiding citizens of their constitutional right to own firearms will not end gun violence in the US, as those who want to kill will find a way to get their hands on guns, even with stricter gun control measures. The underlying problem has social causes, including gangs, which is why policymakers and society must step in to address the issue effectively.
