In the United States, there are more guns than there are people.

So far this year, more than 5,500 people have died as a result of gun violence, 244 of those children.

Statistically, another 10,000 Americans will die in a gun related incident by the end of 2018 – some will be accidental, some will be suicide and some will be as a result of mass shootings.

On Friday morning just before 8am, at Santa Fe High School in Texas, a number of students were sitting in their art class when a gunman opened fire.

Eights students and two teachers were senselessly murdered.

In order to fully comprehend the threat of gun violence in the United States in 2018, here are five shocking facts.

With statistics like that, it’s only a matter of time until we’re covering the next horrific – yet entirely inevitable – mass shooting.