A U.S. national flag flies at half mast on top of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex to mourn the victims of a mass shooting at a concert in Las Vegas, in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 2, 2017. At least 58 people were killed and an estimated 515 people transported to hospitals in a mass shooting at a concert in Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada, police said on Monday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
LAX GUN CONTROL
There has in recent years been an ongoing argument over imposing stricter background checks for those who wish to purchase firearms.
Proponents say it makes sense, but opponents say such restrictions undermine people's right to bear arms as is guaranteed by the Constitution and fear too much government involvement in the private lives of citizens.
Critics of current gun laws say it is far too easy for a mentally deranged person to get his hands on firearms.
"For the government, there needs to be some dialogue about a more stringent and thorough background check process," Mahaffee said.
Experts said if mass shootings continue as they have for the last few years, authorities need more training in how to deal with attacks that result in mass casualties.
"If this is the new normal, police and first responders must continue to prepare how to respond to these active shooter incidents," Mahaffee said.
Communities must also play a role, he said.
"We also need to understand how to see the warning signs in our community where we see people who are stockpiling weapons, showing signs of mental illness, and other warning signs leading to these shootings," Mahaffee added.
Still, Las Vegas is known throughout the United States to be one of the safest, most secure cities in the country.
"That said, Las Vegas is one of the most secure, surveilled places in America, and (the shooter) was still able to bring these weapons into the hotel," Mahaffee said.
West said, "There are no easy solutions to this problem. Having background checks could help keep automatic rifles out of the hands of the mentally unstable," West said.
In many cases, military weaponry is easily available to U.S. citizens. Some people have called for a ban not on all firearms, but rather on the type of weapons, ammunition and clips that are used on battlefields.
"Forbidding the sale of military-style assault weapons (would) keep the number of fatalities much lower than generally is the case today," West said.
"Being able to fire off 100 shots in a short period of time enables these individuals to inflict tremendous damage before they are captured or shot by police," he added.
