- Former president Donald Trump was clipped in the ear by a bullet aimed at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania
- Stakeholder said despite the incident, prospective Chinese students are “already concerned” about gun violence
- But such “world events” can influence study choice quite dramatically, as seen with Ukraine, according to another
On July 13, Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when a man identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks opened fire towards the stage having crawled onto a nearby roof. He clipped the former president’s ear, killed one person and injured two others before being shot dead by the Secret Service.
Such incidents are not uncommon in the US – there were 261 mass shootings before July 4 alone, classed as four or more people being shot in one place.
It makes the shooting in Butler one too, with one person being killed and, including Trump, three others being injured by the gunfire.
Gun violence has often been something prospective international students have had to look past if they go to the US for their studies – and multiple surveys taken in recent years have noted concerns.
Could the attempt on Trump’s life have the same effect?
“In my recent doctoral research… among the 136 Chinese school-based college counsellors surveyed, all but one said that safety was the number one concern among their students when they consider the US,” commented Xiaofeng Wan, a doctoral researcher at Boston College and coordinator of international recruitment at Amherst College, speaking with The PIE News.
“I would say gun violence is an issue that they are already very aware of and concerned about despite the incident,” he declared.
In South Korea, UWAY‘s Kyuseok Kim told The PIE that the attempted assassination, and the broader safety issues, would be “notable concerns” – but are unlikely to really move the dial away for South Korean students from looking at the US.
“The long-standing aspirations for US education, combined with economic considerations and competitive alternatives, will continue to play a more decisive role in shaping these decisions.
“Despite long-standing concerns over safety issues, including gun violence and racial discrimination, these students and their families have continued to prioritise education in the US,” Kim said.
“It remains to be seen how the next US administration’s policy will take shape to make the best forecast regarding the shift in demand.”
From a European perspective, Study.eu’s Gerrit Bruno Blöss told The PIE that the not just students, but more so parents can really see safety as a primary concern.
“World events can influence study choice quite dramatically, especially over the short-term. We’ve seen this with the war in Ukraine in the past two years, which initially affected student interest in neighbouring countries.
“Europe is generally seen by students as a very safe region, especially countries in Northern and Central Europe, and it’s a factor that is actively used in campaigns by universities and country organisations,” he said, referring to various initiatives in Germany and Czechia in their recruitment material online.
Such events can also “exacerbate existing fears about personal safety”, said Girish Ballolla, CEO of GenNext Education – and predicted there could be a potential deterrence of students from the US.
[It] could be pushing students to seek education in countries perceived as safer and more stable,” said Ballolla.
But even before the events of this weekend, the looming danger of gun violence seems to loom large over prospective international students.
When The PIE spoke to students at King’s College in Brighton in February, one Japanese interviewee said she specifically didn’t want to study in the US because she was “pretty much afraid of guns”.
While an enduring issue for Indian students is more centred around race-based violence, and how attacks and even killings have occurred among Indian student populations in the US, gun violence only adds fuel to the fire.
After one shooting in Syracuse, New York, an Indian student there said they had assumed the gunfire was someone “bursting firecrackers”.
The North American Association of Indian Students’ executive director Sudhanshu Kaushik said that the fact Indian students are spread out across both rural campuses and across the biggest cities “expands vulnerability”.
“No student should be afraid of going to school and fearing a gun attack or violence. Crimes against students have increased in 2024, and they have to be more careful,” Kaushik added.
Gun violence issue is also something that sets international students apart from domestic students in the US; the latter grow up with the sense of guardedness around guns in a unique manner.
Lane Murdock, a US student now studying abroad who organised the National School Walkouts protests against gun violence after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Florida, knows it all too well, as she told the Tales from the Departure Lounge podcast earlier this year.
I would say gun violence is an issue that they are already very aware of and concerned about
Xiaofeng Wan, Amherst College
“As time goes by, I only get angrier. When I think about my childhood growing up… doing those school shooter drills… we are told this is normal; not directly, but in how we react as a community, it’s normal,” Murdock explained.
While international students generally don’t have that experience, one campus in Connecticut even started doing active shooter drills on campus so they were more prepared in case of the eventuality. Manisha Zaveri, co-founder of Career Mosaic, noted many campuses “have robust security measures, comprehensive safety protocols, and support systems in place to ensure student well-being”.
“Students should stay informed about campus safety procedures and remain vigilant. By addressing gun control and reinforcing campus safety, the US can maintain a secure and welcoming environment for all international students,” Zaveri said.
Ballolla added that it would be up to US universities to address the concerns by “enhancing campus security”, as well as promoting mental health resources and “engaging in transparent communication” about gun violence.
“If you’re not politically active or inclined, [gun violence] doesn’t offend you, or conjure intense emotion because humans are adaptable,” Murdock argued.
She also noted the age-old-issue that is gun control, saying that the absence of comprehensive gun laws makes the gun identify “the American identity”.
“It’s not just a political issue, but it’s actually – at its core – what it means to be an American. To change as a national identity takes years of work,” Murdock added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
