My Commentary on the Pittsburgh Airbnb Mass Shooting

It was senseless and sad. But was this tragedy preventable?

This story was not an easy one to write nor publish because I needed to speak my truth about a subject that some may find unpleasant, heartless, and untimely. However, if the problem of illegal gun possession and gun violence is to be stopped, truth must prevail.

Increased gun violence everywhere in the United States has caused people to live in fear and to live cautiously. Engaging in personal and group activities as well as simply performing daily tasks has altered and stolen the lives of many innocent men, women, teens, children, and infants as well as the unborn.

As a result of incidents that took place during the past few weeks, I can list several examples of gun violence that quickly come to mind that have gripped the nation.

• A young teen peacefully enjoying a ride on his bike through his neighborhood lost his life after being shot.
• Shoppers visiting a mall were caught in a hail of bullets.
• Several schools were evacuated due to students’ possession of guns and because shots were fired.
• Several men simply strolling through a neighborhood together were shot.
• An enraged driver consumed with road rage fired into a car.
• A couple died as a result of a murder-suicide.

These days the list of gun-related violence is endless. But sadly, it can happen anywhere.

It Happened In My Hometown Again

I join the community of Pittsburgh, PA, and concerned citizens everywhere in expressing outrage at the most recent mass shooting that has impacted the city.

In the first tragic incident, 11 precious souls lost their lives as a result of the antisemitic shooting on the morning of October 27, 2018, at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Disbelief and devastation encompassed our region for a very long time due to the act of evil that destroyed so many lives and families. And closure will never be found.

Sadly, tragedy struck Pittsburgh again. It happened around 12:30 am on the morning of Sunday, April 17, 2022. Approximately 200 individuals, most of whom were juveniles, crammed into an Airbnb for a publicized party where alcohol was available.

While public safety personnel continues to investigate the incident at the time that this story is being written, preliminary details follow.

• At least 90 shots were fired inside and outside of the rental property.
• Two beloved 17-year-old male teens were killed.
• There were nine other shooting victims. Three young people remain in critical condition.
• Several party-goers were injured while escaping out of second-story windows, being trampled while descending steps, and while running through the streets. They sustained broken bones and lacerations.

A deep level of sympathy and compassion is extended to the families of the two young people who tragically lost their lives. Additionally, well-wishes are extended to those who are recovering from their injuries and have been traumatized.

Thankfully, first responders minimized the devastation.

The shooter or shooters have not been identified nor caught yet.

Where Does Responsibility Lie?

After each incident of gun violence that erupts, one common message is projected by the citizenry. Political and community leaders, the loved ones of victims, anti-gun activists, and so many others are among those who declare that

“the violence must stop.”

Unfortunately, these words have become cliche and hold little meaning. This is because gun violence has not only continued but has accelerated in recent times.

I believe there are many intricate layers connected to stopping gun violence. Furthermore, it is my opinion that it is the responsibility of leaders and experts within various realms of influence to work together to halt the devastation that it brings. This must include members of faith-based, social services, medical, political, community advocate, and law enforcement communities as well as school leaders. Whether it is aligning resources, collaborating as a think tank, and developing and implementing a strategic action plan, I believe these critical partners can solve this problem together.

As a family engagement influencer, I also believe that there is another group of individuals who must become accountable for helping resolve the problems associated with illegal gun possession and gun violence. Parents must assume their responsibility, too. More specifically, my thought is that mandated parent training programs facilitated by social services and education entities for mothers and fathers classified as at-risk will contribute to the elimination of this problem.

I define at-risk parents as mothers, fathers, and caregivers as those who:

• Fail to teach their sons and daughters behavioral and social boundaries. They defer this parental responsibility to teachers, school leaders, and other authority figures in their child’s life.
• Some economically challenged parents are in a survival mode. Because many of these parents work multiple jobs and are preoccupied with the stress associated with paying bills, securing and maintaining adequate housing, and keeping their families fed, many fail to spend quality time with their children. Consequently, there is a tendency for some of these children and young people to remain unsupervised. The outcome of this is that they may fail to learn boundaries in their lives.
• Simply stated, some mothers and fathers are very bad parents. They are consumed by apathy because they do not care about maintaining structure within their home or child’s life. Children and young people within these home environments are likely to do as they please at home and on the streets. And these are the students who are likely to habitually disrupt the school and classroom environment.
• Some parents have lost control of their children. Whether it is due to poor parenting skills when their children were younger, parental leniency, the undiagnosed and untreated behavior, or mental health conditions of the child or parent, some mothers, and fathers either lost their ability to parent or never possessed the ability to parent.
• Some parents fail to supervise their children and teens adequately. They may give them too much freedom and they may fail to verify the plans they make outside of the home. As a result, their children are apt to share false narratives about their whereabouts with their parents.

Here Is Why I Stand by My Opinion

With all the reports about the Pittsburgh mass shooting, I have not heard anyone publicly nor boldly address a huge concern that exists. This reflects the first question that entered my mind when the details of this tragedy unfolded. And that is

“why were teenagers as young as 14 years old partying at an Airbnb property so late in the morning and without adult supervision?”

As the mother of a 15-year-old, I know where my daughter is at all times. While a time will come for my child to embrace her independence in this world shortly, that time has not arrived yet. I monitor my teenager’s whereabouts and I account for her time when I am not with her. Because dangers exist within all sectors of society, I do not permit her to be on the city streets alone. Furthermore, she is not allowed to go to any party at an unauthorized location packed with others.

To me, keeping your teenager safe and not permitting them in harm’s way are critical functions of parenting.

With all sympathy extended to all the victims of the mass shooting as well as those young people who have been traumatized by the violence that ensued, 200 young people never should have been allowed to be at that party during the early morning hours. Any parent who failed to know where their teen was or gave their permission to go to that party is either classified as negligent or as a mother or father who needs help raising their child.

Aside from the parental concerns that I expressed, I believe other contributing factors led to the mass shooting. These included:

• the accessibility of illegal guns;
• overcrowded and unsafe conditions;
• the lack of security at the party;
• the attendees were soft targets; and
• the unauthorized use of an Airbnb property.

And for any young person who sneaked from their home or lied to their parents about their whereabouts, the fault lies with them, too.

My Last Word

As more details emerge about the mass shooting, members of law enforcement and community leaders must not be concerned about being politically correct nor offending some parents by failing to speak the truth about parental deficits related to the mass shooting incident.

As solutions are being considered to stop the easy circulation of illegal guns and the gun violence that follows, parents must become a part of the problem-solving process.

Mandated parent training for mothers and fathers who struggle in their role is a remedy that I have proposed in my professional work as a family engagement influencer and writing content creator. I believe mandatory training for at-risk parents can help solve some of the gun violence and unauthorized gun possession problems in small yet incremental ways.

However, much more is required from many other powerful entities to resolve the gun crisis. Layers of focus-driven sustained collaboration are key.

Thank you for spending your time reading my perspective.

Do you have any thoughts?

I invite you to share them in the comment section of this story.

Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.

Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is