The Second Amendment is a widely controversial topic for most Americans. Some say it provides safety and supports a right to defend yourself against harm, while others say it is a threat to everyone’s safety and that proper regulations should be enforced. No matter your opinion on the right to bear arms, I think we can all agree that the event that occurred in Oct. 1 in Las Vegas was a tragedy.

At 10:08 p.m., during Jason Aldean’s concert at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, bullets were fired repeatedly from the 32nd story of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for almost 11 consecutive minutes. Aldean ran off the stage and concert goers ducked to avoid the rapid fire of a gun.

In the end, 58 people died and nearly 500 sustained injuries. It has been named the deadliest mass shooting in all of U.S. history, topping the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida where 49 people died. Now the real question is, would nullifying or modifying the Second Amendment really have made that much of a difference? The answer is no. Even with laws intact prohibiting the acquiring of firearms, this was still a very strategically executed attack, and laws would not have made a difference considering the perpetrator’s intents. One way or another, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock would have obtained the guns and killed people. Not to say that we shouldn’t take a look at the Second Amendment and what “bearing arms” really entails, just that in this specific situation it wouldn’t have made any difference.

One thing that could have made this situation avoidable is security. If hotel lobbies and public buildings and events used metal detectors and did thorough bag searches, Paddock’s attempts might have been stopped and people wouldn’t have died. In answer to this tragedy, Austin City Limits responded immediately. The festival will up its police presence to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. Austin Police Chief Bryan Manley said of the matter that the force will look at potentially troublesome areas and take the necessary precautions

All in all, innocent people should not have died that night. With proper laws and regulations, 58 more people could have safely left that festival and gone back to their homes and families. Hopefully this event will make us take a long overdue look at gun control and better security measures.