Despite knowing Indiana as a whole is Republican, there have been instances where Senators have tried to challenge the majority, which residents in Indiana have mixed feelings about.

In 2024 alone, over 10 bills were introduced in the House and Senate regarding firearms, one of which being Senate Bill 24.

Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, authored the Senate Bill to raise the minimum age to carry a handgun to 21.

Much like Senate Bill 144 introduced in 2023 — the same bill as Sen. Randolph’s Senate Bill 24 — the 2024 bill did not have a long life span.

Some Hoosiers are still talking about how such bills could be a significant step toward limiting gun violence among minors.

In Indianapolis alone, handgun homicides have increased over 25% since 2018 and Everytown data shows firearms as the leading cause of death among children and teens in Indiana and the nation.

Across the United States, there have been over 2,000 shootings and 286 teens have died due to gun violence as of mid-March. Over 50 of those shooting incidents were in the Hoosier State, four of them among citizens under the age of 18.

Taking into account how many incidents involved citizens under 18 in the year 2024 alone, teens and minors are getting their hands on more and more guns every year.

And to narrow the types of shootings, according to the Washington Post, there have been 394 school shootings since Columbine, which happened in 1999.

Of the biggest school shootings like Parkland and Uvalde, the shooters were people under the age of 21.

Cathy Weinmann, a Moms Demand Action volunteer, believed the chances of Randolph’s bill to raise the minimum age passing to be “zero to none.”

“The odds were slim. People choose guns over people every time,” Weinmann said. “It’s a battle we will fight everyday.”

Everytown data shows that over the next decade, 300k lives could be saved if stricter gun laws were enforced.

A list from Everytown ranks each U.S. state based on how strong gun laws are and compares them to the death rates due to guns. The list shows California as the state with the strongest gun laws and the lowest gun deaths and gun ownership.

Of the 50 policies regarding gun control, California enforces 48 of them.

Some of the major laws in California restricting guns require gun purchasers to go through a background check. Buyers also need a purchase permit as well as a “concealed carry” to legally carry in public.

In Indiana, bills that reflect California’s gun laws have been turned down.

While some advocate for stricter laws like those in California, others remain strong in their support of gun rights in the Hoosier state.

Although Indiana does not look to be a state where laws will mirror the laws in California, Weinmann has hopes for other states to follow The Golden State’s lead.

There are some organizations who think otherwise, though. Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence President Jerry King had high hopes for Randolph’s bill.

“We [HCGV] believe that the majority of Hoosiers support reasonable reform,” he said. King seemed to be optimistic about SB 24’s chances.

“Our job is to call our members and partners to speak out and make the most forceful presentation that they can,” he said. “Especially by communicating with the chairs of committees to which some of these important bills get assigned to read. We insist that these bills need to be heard.”

But the question people seem to have is what “reasonable reform” is.

“Truly all these bills would do is take the ability for people who don’t outright want to cause harm to others away due to them actually caring and following the law or rules put in place,” Zach Alexander, a Marine until February of 2024 and now a correctional officer at the Johnson County sheriff’s office said.

“I believe a majority of individuals who carry a firearm in public do train with that gun, although it may not be professionally, they are still comfortable with that weapon and the responsibilities associated with carrying it in public,” he said.

While Alexander says he trusts that most people have good intentions while carrying, students and young adults in the same area do not.

Some Franklin College students reported that they believe if they are not allowed to buy alcohol until they are 21, there is no reason they should be able to buy a gun.

The debate over gun control in Indiana reflects broader national discussions on balancing individual rights with public safety; everyone has their own opinion.

Despite efforts to introduce legislation aimed at curbing gun violence, such as Senate Bill 24, the political landscape and deeply entrenched beliefs make progress challenging.