Konrad Juengling knew something was wrong when his friend Carrie Parsons hadn't been active on Facebook.
It was the morning after the the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting. Devastatingly, 60 innocent people had been killed after 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.
Deep in the back of his mind, Konrad had always feared losing someone to gun grime. "But on the other hand, you think, it's not going to happen to someone I know," he tells VT.
"Shootings happen so often that you are desensitized to them; schools, grocery stores, whatever. You don't think that it's going to happen to someone you know. But with the number of shootings, it was only a matter of time before someone I knew was killed."
Opening up about his friend, Konrad describes Carrie as "positive" and "a lot of fun to hang out with". He adds: "She was a fun, enjoyable person, who really had her entire life ahead of her. It just seemed like she had so much potential.
"She and I had worked together previously at Pottery Barn when I was doing my undergraduate degree, and we had been friends since then. It was just a very weird feeling to know that I was friends with her on Facebook, and she wasn't there."
Four years on, Konrad can't remember where he was when he found out that his friend was one of the victims in the shooting – it was all such a blur. "It was weird because it was one of the biggest mass shootings in America," he explains. "It was very sad to find out. She was young and fun and had her life taken away from her for no reason."
To help himself cope with Carrie's death, Konrad decided to dedicate his time to speaking out against gun violence at every opportunity.
"I would love an outright ban," he admits. "I am very far left when it comes to gun regulation. I don't think every day people need guns. If you are going sports shooting, hunting, then maybe you should check one out from a locker and go through lots of background checks and leave something valuable behind so you don't steal it. But I don't think everyday people need guns. I think law enforcement probably does – not not citizens.
"People don't need a semi-automatic firearm to go get pancakes in the morning. And a firearm in your home is more likely to be used against you than you are to use it against an intruder. So it's like, why would you want something that's potentially going to be used against you in your home? Or have an accident with? A kid can get ahold of it and God knows what happens with it."
Even before the Las Vegas shooting, Konrad was anti-firearms and pro the introduction of gun control and regulation.
"Almost anyone can get a gun," he points out. "We have a Second Amendment which is a part of the constitution and that is the right to bear arms. I think that when it was written, the constitution made sense, and that amendment made sense. However, now, I don't think people need guns for everyday activities."
A 2019 study estimated that there are 430 unintentional firearms fatalities in the US every year. Despite the ongoing pandemic putting serious restrictions on people's every day lives, the US saw an estimated 4,000 extra murders in 2020 due to gun violence.
While Konrad would love to see gun laws change in America, he believes that it will be a very hard-fought battle "because Americans love their guns".
"I think to outright ban guns would be political suicide at this point in time," he says. "Hopefully, it's something that will happen, but I can't see it happening any time soon."
It's been speculated that the Las Vegas Shooting killer wanted to die in infamy, and that's why he committed the atrocity. When I ask if there is anything the media can do to stop people wanting this kind of macabre notoriety, Konrad has a very insightful answer.
"Maybe by not naming them," he suggests. "It's hard to attach notoriety to someone if you don't know their identity. I haven't thought a lot about that before, but I think it would be a good idea for the media to take a look and see that people aren't trying to copycat and get that notoriety. Perhaps by focusing on the victims and not the shooter and their motive.
Konrad then highlights that there are very real ways people can help to support victims of gun crime and their families – something that is more than simply sending thoughts and prayers to those affected.
"Be more vocal in gun legislation and in supporting politicians who agree with gun regulation," he stresses. "Without supporting those politicians and voting in people who believe in gun regulation, we are going to keep seeing this. There are going to be more victims.
"I think it's so important to get involved at the very least by voting. I don't think thoughts and prayers – while they may be helpful for that individual person – they are not going to make a difference on the national stage. But voting definitely will."
We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere condolences to Carrie's family and friends.
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun crime and would like to talk confidentially, you can visit your local Samaritans branch or call 1 (800) 273-TALK.
