Living by the bullet

�

WHEN a begrudged employee of an Internet firm in Boston opened fire on his colleagues, leaving seven of them dead, the incident triggered renewed calls for stricter laws on gun ownership in the US.

�

42-year-old Michael McDermott went to work on Boxing Day morning. He chit-chatted and joked about his Christmas celebrations before briefly leaving the office, and returning brandishing a semi-automatic rifle, a shot gun and a pistol. Most of his victims were shot in the head or in the back as they tried to flee. Seven people were killed, including the vice-president of the company.

�

At Mr McDermott's remand hearing, the assistant district attorney said, "There were very little, if any, missed shots and most of the wounds went through the victims' bodies."

�

The hearing was told that Mr McDermott went on the rampage days after being told that his wages would be held back at the request of the Internal Revenue Service, as repayment for outstanding tax contributions.

�

He pleaded not guilty at the hearing, and although he didn't deny committing the killings he claimed to be undergoing psychiatric treatment at the time.

�

The incident, now dubbed the Boxing Day Massacre is a glaring example of a frayed society where multiple-victim public shootings are becoming an all too common occurrence.

�

According to a study carried out at the University of Chicago, the US sees an average of 20 public shootings a year, while arrests and conviction rates are consistently going down. Inevitably, this latest incident has re-ignited the debated over gun control, an issue that continues to split the country down the line.

�

Many believe that the only way to stop incidents like the Boxing Day Massacre is to tighten the laws concerning gun ownership. Yet there is an equally strong section of society, mainly lead by the National Rifle Authority, which believes that more regulation will not deter criminals, and will lead to an underground trade in firearms.

�

However, last May, 750,00 people joined the Million Mom March on Washington DC, calling for firmer gun controls. The Million Mom March Foundation, along with several other groups across the US, are lobbying the government to enforce more gun-free zones around the country, background checks and waiting periods for those who wish to purchase a gun, as well as safer storage regulations and tougher penalties for those who breech them.

�

President Bill Clinton responded to these calls by pledging to work towards tighter gun control after the country was rocked by the shooting of a 6-year-old girl by another 6-year-old in their kindergarten classroom, and the Columbine shooting where two teenagers went on a gun rampage in their high school, which left 14 people dead.

�

However, the responsibility of enforcing these law changes has been passed to the president-elect George W. Bush who takes office in January 2001. The issue of gun control will be one of the first national emergencies that will land on his desk, and as the country mourns the seven victims of this latest shooting spree, Mr Bush's actions will be under the public spotlight.