Events like this don't seem real. I'm sure to many of us horrific events such as the Orlando shooting seem like something out of a movie. Many could never imagine a tragic event like this happening until it does. Sadly, these events have become reality because it's not the first mass shooting we've seen.

There were 372 mass shootings in the United States in 2015, killing 475 people and injuring 1,870, compared to the 27 in Canada's history dating back to 1689. Now living in Canada, these facts do not surprise me, as our gun laws are drastically different. I have a unique perspective compared to most Canadians, as I live in Michigan two-thirds of the year. A state where more people died by gun between 2008 and 2013 than traffic accidents. Now does this scare me? A little.

I've thought about the shooting in 2012 where 12 were people killed and 17 injured during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" as I sat in a movie theatre in Michigan. There is obviously a serious issue in the United States when it comes to gun laws, but my question is, as I am sure many others have, is how can it change? Has it gotten so out of hand there is simply no way to control it? I don't believe this.

I think rather than the obvious, which is making gun laws stricter, people need to be educated. They need to realize that this is something that needs to change, and the only way of really succeeding is having future generations be the change. In my experience, I have noticed the bubble America is in. Many people have little knowledge on the countries around them.

It's my concern that people are starting to accept these shooting as a part of life, when in reality the rest of the world rarely sees a mass shooting a year. I would love to live to see these numbers drop and the people of America be safe.

Such a tragic event that has impacted so many. My thoughts are with those affected and my condolences to all.