On Aug. 13, 2016, I thought I was having my last conversation with my mother. My hands shook as I dialed her phone number. My voice stuttered as I tried to speak through my crippling fear, “Mom. I’m at the mall. They’re saying there’s a shooter.”

Incidentally, my experience last year with the Crabtree Valley Mall incident turned out to be a farce caused by a loud banging noise, but I was unaware of this while hiding for hours waiting to be evacuated. Whenever I hear about another incident of gun violence, I relive those moments of the absolute fear I experienced that day.

It sadly seems all too common to hear about a child bringing a gun to school or another life being lost to gun violence. On Oct. 1, the nation woke up to the news of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in Las Vegas, which took the lives of 58 people and injured over 500. Among the injured* was NC State graduate Jenna DeCandio. Earlier in August, many NC State students were traumatized by the deadly shooting at the Vie apartment complex.

After these unnecessary acts of violence, people always demand more regulations, stricter background checks and justice for the victims; however, members of our own state legislature have introduced bills that are attempting to loosen gun restrictions.

There are two house bills in the North Carolina General Assembly that seek to abolish the need for concealed carry permits. According to North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, House Bill 69 and House Bill 746 would allow for people as young as 18 to carry a hidden loaded weapon in public. They would no longer need classroom and live fire training to carry a concealed weapon.

Concealed carry permits regulate who can apply, determine where someone can carry a handgun, and train people in becoming responsible gun owners. Currently, North Carolina’s Article 54B requires applicants who apply for concealed handgun permits to complete “an approved firearms safety and training course which involves the actual firing of handguns and instruction in the laws of this State governing the carrying of a concealed handgun and the use of deadly force,” as stated by the legislation.

According to the Center for American Progress, North Carolina ranks 15th in the country for the number of gun-related crimes, and these house bills are supposedly designed to help responsible gun owners obtain guns more quickly and conveniently. The required classes they are trying to do away with only create more responsible gun owners. If these bills become laws, these safety classes will become optional, which would result in uneducated, untrained and very likely dangerous gun owners.

National Rifle Association spokesperson Catherine Mortensen said, “As Americans take more responsibility for their self-protection, we need common-sense laws that recognize it’s often more convenient and socially acceptable to carry discretely.” Applying for permits may be an inconvenience, but it’s a necessary inconvenience that helps prevent guns from being placed in the wrong hands.

Both House Bill 69 and 746 still have the potential to move forward and eventually become law. As gun violence increases in this country, the NCGA should be taking appropriate precautions to make sure more incidents don’t occur, but instead, it’s doing the opposite.

The inconvenience of applying for a concealed carry permit is not an excuse to do away with proper background checks and training. North Carolina should be taking any necessary steps to make sure that its people are held accountable when becoming gun owners.

*Editor’s Note: The column has been changed to reflect that NC State alumna Jenna DeCandio was injured in Las Vegas.