I am pessimistic too about change because I see people who are unwilling to address fundamental problems without bias.  When Columbine happened my first thought was perhaps now the educational system will address structural and curricular problems that are both part of the problem and part of the solution. My second thought was I hope this does not descend into a simplistic discussion of gun control with misleading concepts as ‘gun violence’ and ‘background checks’.
Unless there is a willingness to discuss destructive behaviors such as suicide, drug abuse, and criminal behaviors which can be improved by educational methods and thereby reduce problems in all the categories, there can be little progress. Real progress needs to be made in all these areas and distraction by a single category is harmful.
I taught in Africa and one might be safer in a single category such as being shot, but other things such as homicide, disease, and accident make it less safe.