It’s happened again. Another mass shooting with most of the victims being children gunned down in their classroom. I say “another” because the tragedy that occurred on May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas was painfully similar to the mass killing of children that took place 9 1/2 years ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. In each case, the shooter was an angry, mentally disturbed young man armed with an assault rifle.  In each case, the people he killed never harmed him, didn’t even know him. In each case, the shooter ended up dead.  Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook killer, died by his own hand; whereas, border patrol officers ended the life of Uvalde murderer Salvador Ramos.

There is one more similarity between the Newtown and Uvalde tragedies — each generated prolonged cries for stronger gun control measures. Such cries are heard after every deadly mass shooting whether the victims are children or not. Indeed, little more than a week before the Uvalde killings, 10 people were killed and three wounded at a Buffalo grocery store by a gunman who targeted his victims because they were black. Nationwide, there have been over 200 mass shootings since the beginning of the year.

Why do these shootings keep happening? As President Biden noted, there are mentally disturbed people in other countries. These countries also have domestic disputes and “people who are lost.” But none of them has the level of gun violence that we have in the United States. Part of the answer would seem to be the wide availability of guns in this country and the ease with which they can be obtained. Even assault rifles like the AR-15 can be purchased without much trouble in most places despite the fact these weapons have little use besides killing people. Accordingly, a ban on the sale of assault rifles would be a proper step to take. At the very least, someone wishing to purchase such a weapon should undergo a thorough background check. But will that be enough to prevent future mass killings? Probably not.

For one thing, there are already so many guns in this country that malicious people will still be able to get their hands on one notwithstanding any gun control laws. Just as liquor could easily be obtained during Prohibition, just as marijuana was and is readily available despite laws against its use, so guns will be available — legally or illegally — to anyone who wants one. One thing that might help is to have a voluntary nationwide buyback of guns. This has been tried in several localities with at least modest success. St. Louis had a gun buyback a few years ago. Gun owners were asked to put their unloaded weapon in a bag or box and bring it to the Omega Center. There, they received $100 for a handgun, $150 for a shotgun or rifle, and $200 for an assault rifle. Initiating such a program across the country would be a good first step toward reducing gun violence.

Gun control laws and gun buybacks — while potentially helpful — don’t really address the core issues underlying mass shootings: Why do some people (mostly men) believe that killing innocent defenseless people is an acceptable way to vent anger and frustration or to make a political statement? What is there in the mentality of a mass shooter that impels him to behave in such a cowardly, barbaric way? How did he acquire this mentality in the first place? Is there a common thread that links Salvador Ramos to Adam Lanza or Payton Gendron, the Buffalo grocery store killer?  Psychologists, sociologists, physicians, educators, and government leaders need to answer these questions. Perhaps an expert panel can be formed for that purpose. Because until answers are found, the mass shootings are likely to continue.