Each year, thousands of Americans are affected by gun violence. Every accident, homicide, and shooting has a deep impact on families and communities, even when they don’t make it into the news.
Gun violence has never just been a statistic. It’s a devastating act that impacts how we function in our everyday lives.
In Utah, gun violence takes many forms, from public shootings to unexpected accidents. In January, a shooting outside a church in Salt Lake City left two people dead and several others injured, shocking a community that considered themselves safe from harm and firearm homicide. One of the most reported cases in Utah last year involved conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. The event drew national attention because it happened during a public discussion, sparking a political and social controversy across the U.S.
On June 14, 2025, a person was shot and killed during a “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City, traumatizing the community.
Senior Gabriel Jacobson was present when this tragedy happened.
“I was with a friend and her brother’s girlfriend, and we were protesting,” Jacobson said. “We were walking down the street, east of the Capitol Building. This guy started to run up the sidewalk and he yelled that there was a gun. Then there was a sound, and everyone started to run. We heard cops, and then everyone started to scream, and then there was more running. People were hiding in alleyways. A person in our group had a dog, and we lost her for a second, and that was stressful. We passed by a church and the doors were open, and they were telling people to come in. We sat there for a while. They offered us water and asked if we were okay. We were able to catch our breaths and contact our families. After we knew we were safe, we walked to our car. We were walking for a long time.”
After the shooting, Jacobson spent his time dedicated to researching gun violence. He feels very passionately about the role guns should play in American society.
“When someone’s life is taken away from them in such a violent way, it obviously has a huge impact on families and communities,” Jacobson said. “Living with my experiences, it can be really scary to be in public and to live with that trauma just from one person’s decision. Everything could have been avoided if certain people didn’t have guns with them. Two people were shot. One died.”
According to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Utah is currently ranked as the “24th highest state for age-adjusted firearm death rate,” with the gun death rate increasing by 19% from 2014 to 2023.
Gun violence is a multifaceted issue that doesn’t have a clear solution yet. Many safety advocacy groups have tried to implement certain laws such as requiring background checks for gun sales, but not much progress has been made.
As Utahns, it’s important for us to stay informed on different threats in our state and keep ourselves educated on our rights as Americans, while keeping as safe as possible.
