Former military sniper Nicholas Irving shared his insights on the recent tragic mass shooting in Stockton, California, where masked gunmen opened fire at a children’s birthday party at Monkey Space, killing three kids and injuring several others.
Irving, who has family in Stockton, described the city as a “rough area” plagued by poverty, drugs, and violence. He expressed outrage at the reckless attack, emphasizing that even criminal codes traditionally avoid targeting women and children. The shooting was reportedly linked to a local rapper, MBNel, a self-admitted Crip who has survived multiple assassination attempts but remains in Stockton despite the danger. Irving criticized this ongoing gang violence, calling it “buffoonery” and lamenting that perpetrators lack skill, often harming innocents and escalating chaos. He suggested tough measures for offenders but urged keeping civilians out of such conflicts.
Reflecting on recent mass shootings, Irving emphasized the complexity behind such tragedies, highlighting mental health and cultural decline as root problems rather than gun availability alone. “It’s not a gun problem, it’s a people problem,” Irving stated, noting the country’s moral and spiritual struggles. Irving also argued that America’s vast number of firearms acts as a deterrent against foreign invasion, essentially turning its population into an armed militia. “You couldn’t defeat America on its own land because of the guns,” he explained.
While acknowledging some benefits of strict gun laws overseas, Irving believes loosening restrictions in the U.S. is preferable. He asserts that guns don’t cause violence on their own—people do. The discussion remains heated, but Irving’s views stress a need to focus on cultural and mental health reforms alongside the gun control debate.