The thing I have noticed with my interactions with people. Is so many people want to simply let actions decide the way to teaching instead of the action of talking and telling them implications of their actions.
Like you hinted at, there are so many areas of issues from what the story says, this can be summed up by; piss poor parenting, inadequate measures of locking up the firearms, and a complete lack of respect for life of any sort.
I am a strong supporter of the 2 nd Amendment, but people that allow this to happen make it hard for me to want to support it.