When I first read the news about the recent San Bernardino shooting in California, United States ("US shooting: Terror motive not ruled out"; last Friday), my first reaction was indifference - it was yet another shooting happening in the US.

Later, I was appalled by my indifference. Have we all become so desensitised towards gun violence that we simply treat the tens of thousands of gun deaths as normal?

The US must take gun violence seriously. The fact that anyone is easily able to purchase a gun only exacerbates the situation.

The US government can ameliorate these atrocities by implementing more thorough background checks, as well as addressing shortcomings and plugging loopholes.

It is imperative to push for action on gun control so that such abominable attacks do not continue.

Ashley Tan Yu Yi, 15, Secondary 3 student