Sri Lanka, July 8 -- In what should be a peaceful island still recovering from decades of conflict, a new kind of violence is spreading fear - one punctuated by the sound of gunfire. Over the past six months alone, Sri Lanka has witnessed at least 60 shooting incidents, claiming 34 lives and injuring dozens more. The rise in gun violence, particularly linked to organized crime, poses not just a serious law-and-order challenge but also a grave social crisis. With each bullet fired, public confidence in the state's ability to protect its citizens erodes further.

According to data from the Police Divisional Office, 44 of the 60 reported shootings have connections to underworld gangs. These are not isolated incidents-they are part of a growi...