Editor’s note: Editorials do not represent the views of the Daily Bruin as a whole. The board encourages readers to respond to our editorials at dailybruin.com/submit.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, gun violence struck yet again – this time, right here in Los Angeles County.

Amid the festivities on Jan. 21 in the bustling Asian American enclave of Monterey Park, another mass shooting occurred. During an occasion that was supposed to be filled with joy and celebration, at least 11 people were killed and nine more wounded.

Two days later, on Jan. 23, another gunman opened fire in Half Moon Bay, murdering seven individuals.

These stories, unfortunately, sound all too familiar.

The tragedies at Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay occurred just before the two-year anniversary of the infamous Atlanta area spa shootings, in which eight individuals died – the majority of which were of Asian descent – and the horrifying attacks against elderly Asian American men and women in early 2021.

As Americans continue to face the devastating consequences of the deadly epidemic of gun violence, the surge in anti-Asian hatred has become particularly alarming. The recent horrific events at Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay – both of which involved Asian American victims and perpetrators – represent an uptick in an already-present trend of hate crimes against the Asian American community.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is largely reported to have originated in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, resulting in a rise in feelings of xenophobia around the nation. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, anti-Asian hate incidents increased an overwhelming 77% from 2019 to 2020. The organization Stop AAPI Hate also published a report that shows from March 2020 to December 2021, just short of 11,000 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were self-reported.

With so many lives lost, it is time to put an end to Asian American hate – in Monterey Park, in Half Moon Bay and across the country.

According to an email from Chancellor Gene Block, thousands of Bruins are from Monterey Park and the surrounding neighborhoods, and an even larger number have close friend or familial ties to the area. Not to mention, 33% of all UCLA undergraduates and 22% of graduate students are of Asian descent.

When any student sees themself reflected in violence – and so many do – something must be done. No one should be constantly scared for not only their own life, but also the lives of their friends and family.

In the aftermath of Monterey Park and the widespread hate crimes targeted at Asian American individuals over the past couple of years, Bruins of Asian descent have shown their solidarity with the community, with many UCLA students honoring the victims by gathering for a vigil.

The Board encourages Bruins to show their support for Asian Americans by attending such events, as well as to demonstrate solidarity in other ways. And during this period of horrific violence and hatred, the Board stands with the Asian American community at UCLA and in California.

But following these shootings, it becomes evident that something has also clearly gone wrong in the state with the strictest gun control legislation in the nation.

In the Monterey Park shooting, the perpetrator was arrested in the past for unlawful possession of a firearm in 1990 and was apparently stockpiling weapons, ammunition and self-made firearm suppressors prior to the shooting.

The Half Moon Bay shooter, meanwhile, legally purchased the firearm he used to carry out the massacre, despite the fact that he had been the subject of a temporary restraining order from one of his coworkers who alleged that the shooter attacked and threatened them in 2013.

It is clear that California’s current gun control regime is unable to effectively prevent these kinds of attacks. Alongside the massacres at Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, recent mass shootings in Goshen and Beverly Crest highlight the growing threat of gun violence in the state.

Although the state legislature has pledged to pass new gun control legislation, the actual steps California can take to combat gun violence are currently limited due to the recent Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen that the current concealed-carry scheme used in states like New York and California was unconstitutional.

While the ruling stands, it is unfortunate that these shootings will continue to occur throughout our city, our state and our country.

While mass shootings are not a uniquely American phenomenon, the overwhelming frequency and brutality of gun violence within this country is unheard of among most nations of similar economic and political standing – and that needs to change. Regardless of who these victims are or where they come from, the fact of the matter is that we are all living through an epidemic of violence that must end now.

Following these shootings, California must be able to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of all within its borders before we are forced to watch another tragedy unfold.