Many excellent suggestions in this thread. Depending on her age, abandon her in a crime ridden neighborhood at midnight with no phone or weapon. Just kidding.
Her question to you says more than you think:
1. She believes that getting a gun is easy
2. She believes that people got guns legally that shouldn’t have had them.
3. She didn’t frame the question ‘why do some people shoot other people’ which would have shown ‘critical thinking (for herself). She addressed the ‘gun’ not the ‘behavior’.
Everything she ‘believes’ is someone else’s narrative (definitely not yours) which she never questioned. That’s a huge problem and something you should have taught her (critical thinking). Additionally, you admit that she ‘isn’t emothionally (mentally) prepared to hear about 2a’. Really?
Too many continue to treat their grown children like 5 year olds. And they will teach their children that same nonsense. The absence of critical thinking amongst most is how we got here and why problems are never solved. They are ALL asking the wrong questions purposely.
“you admit that she ‘isn’t emothionally (mentally) prepared to hear about 2a’.”
Perhaps I wasn’t clear: she’s interested in getting and knowing how to use a handgun to protect her and her young child. She understands that it’s her constitutional right. She’s having a bit of trouble accepting that that right means some people who perhaps shouldn’t have guns can get them anyway. I’m feeding her info (not just Dad’s opinion) on purchase procedures and requirements to show her that the safeguards are there, they’re just not perhaps observed as fully as they should be.