The gunman whose rampage killed 12 people Wednesday at a country music bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif., brought the United States again to a period of mourning, hand-wringing and resignation over gun violence.

It also made headlines around the world, coming less than two weeks after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue where 11 were killed. In our comments section this week, dozens of readers outside the United States said they were struggling to understand why Americans let gun violence persist.

Here is a selection of their comments. They have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Use the comments to tell us how you see it. Please include where you’re from.

A dystopian world encroaches

Has it only been two weeks since the last shooting? — KA, Ontario, Canada

I’m deeply sorry to say this. Gunning down civilians in broad daylight looks like a feature of American life. — Jonas Goh, Seoul