Letter: Gun violence: Correcting the record

Doug Odell's guest column contained so many errors, I felt it was necessary to correct the record.

The term “magazine clip” was used several times in the article; however this is a contradiction of terms. Many people who don't really know about guns use this incorrect term. A gun may have one or the other, but not both.

The other term used was “assault weapon,” unfortunately this term has no legal meaning. People who don't know anything about guns assume it's a military-style weapon. While it may look like one, military weapons have both full-auto (machine gun) and semi-auto firing (one trigger press is one shot).

There are several things that can be done to reduce mass shootings. First, have the mainstream news media stop publishing the photo and the name of the shooter. The majority of mass shooters want the fame that comes with the shooting. If we stopped showing their name, their photo, and their manifesto, the incentive is gone.

Another thing that would help a lot would be to eliminate “gun free zones.” Roughly 74% of the mass shootings occur in "gun free zones.” The shooter is after one thing, the highest body count and what better place where everyone is unarmed. In the state of Utah and some schools in Texas, anyone with a valid CCW permit may carry a gun onto any school or college. By eliminating the “gun free zone” for schools, Utah has zero school shootings.

Third, we need better mental health care.

Bob Diaz

Carson City