‘I respect the rights of responsible gun owners’: Stephen King speaks the painful truth following 83rd school shooting of the year

Stephen King may ditched the hellscape that is Elon Musk’s X, but his departure hasn’t silenced his voice. 

The master of horror has never been one to mince words, and his stories have always been a reflection of the darkest corners of our society. But he knows the real horror show is happening right here in the daylight. So, when he speaks out about the recent school shooting in Wisconsin, it’s clear that this is a nightmare even the king of horror struggles to comprehend.

On Monday, a 15-year-old student rolled up to Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin and unleashed a storm of bullets, shattering the illusion of safety in a sacred space of learning. Two dead, several injured. And the shooter? Also dead. It’s a script that’s become all too familiar, repeating like a broken record with blood on the needle. In the wake of this tragedy, King took to Bluesky, his new social media haven, to share his thoughts. 

I’m a gun owner, and I respect the rights of responsible gun owners. That said, the second amendment will continue to be watered with the blood of children until the laws change.

— Stephen King (@stephenking.bsky.social) December 17, 2024 at 7:10 AM

As a gun owner himself, he acknowledged the rights of responsible gun owners but made it crystal clear that “the second amendment will continue to be watered with the blood of children until the laws change.”

King’s words ring painfully true. The U.S. is the only developed nation where school shootings have become a horrifyingly common occurrence. Imagine this: Little tykes lumbering around with backpacks that dwarf them, the usual school corridor hustle and bustle. Then, one of those days, all hell breaks loose.  Kids are ducking under desks, teachers are slamming doors shut, and everyone’s hearts are hammering against rib cages like they’re trying to break free. The usual school chit-chat about homework and crushes gets drowned out by a deafening chorus of fear. Phones light up with texts that are half “I love yous” and half goodbye notes. Imagine the terror, the screams, the scramble.

And what do we do? Stand by and watch this horror show play on repeat. Politicians trot out, toss around their “thoughts and prayers,” and then it’s lights out, show’s over, until the next heartbreaking rerun. Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde — the list goes on…

…and still, nothing changes.

A study by CNN found that between 2009 and 2018, the U.S. had 57 times more school shootings than the other G7 countries combined. 57 times more. America’s gun violence epidemic is a uniquely American problem, and it demands a uniquely American solution.

“We need more guns to stop gun violence,” they say. Oh, sure, and I need a hole in the head like I need a submarine to learn swimming. It’s a sick joke, isn’t it? Just look at the scoreboard — 38 school shootings this year with injuries or worse, and a whopping 322 school shootings overall according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. That’s not normal, folks. So, yeah, Stephen King’s right, painfully so. And maybe, if we start listening to the guy who knows a thing or two about horror, we might just find our way out of this haunted house. Let’s just hope it’s not too late.