So, another morning in Denver: a man wildly waved a firearm in front of an elementary school, cops swooped in, and—bang—he’s dead on the sidewalk. Welcome to the new normal, where it seems that shootings are now a daily occurrence in Colorado. It used to be that shootings were things that happened in New York and L.A.
But wait a minute?! Isn’t the Colorado legislature passing more and more “common sense gun laws?!”
Colorado’s Shooting Surge by the Numbers
- Violent crime up 61%: In 2013, Colorado saw 305 violent crimes per 100,000 residents; by 2022 that figure exploded to 492.5 per 100,000—a spike nearly twice the national uptick (cdpsdocs.state.co.us).
- Homicide rate rising: The state’s murder rate jumped from about 3.8 deaths per 100,000 in 2013 to roughly 5.9 per 100,000 by 2022—an increase of 55% (en.wikipedia.org).
- Road-rage killings soar: Once nearly nonexistent, Colorado’s fatal “road-rage” shootings have climbed more than 15-fold since the mid-2010s—because apparently it’s easier to pull a trigger than to take a deep breath.
What the Hell Happened?
- Population growth isn’t the whole story. Yes, more people equals more conflict potential—but Colorado only grew ~20% over the past decade, yet violent crime and homicides jumped 50-plus percent. Mag-lock pistols aren’t the problem—armed thugs who ignore the law are.
- Law-abiders need protection. In a world of tempers on hair-trigger, responsible citizens with concealed-carry permits are the real first responders—often stepping in before police can arrive. Yet your Colorado legislature continues to make that a hardeer thing to do.
- Human life seems undervalued. Decades of sensational “if it bleeds, it leads” news and glorified screen violence blur reality; a quarrel that once meant a black eye now means a bullet.
- Human life matters—especially ours. If disarming law-abiding folks were the answer, violent crime would be zero. Instead, bad actors keep weapons, and good neighbors can’t defend themselves.
- Social unraveling. Post-pandemic isolation, fraying mental-health resources, and a 24/7 outrage machine have combined to turn neighbors into potential targets. Colorado doesn’t have a gun problem; we have a mental health problem.
So Why Are We Bleeding Out?
Because we’ve collectively lost the muscle memory for calm conflict resolution. We let cable news and social media stoke every fear, neglected our mental health care system, and forgot that human life is more precious than “winning” an argument.
If you’re fed up with “One dead after…” headlines, demand policies that empower responsible gun owners instead of hamstringing them. Real safety comes from more eyes — and more armed good Samaritans — standing between our kids and the worst actors. Let’s quit blaming firearms and start backing the right to protect ourselves.
