Active shooter thread

[Brisketexan 105260]

15 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I could come up with another 100 reasons, but it wouldn’t matter to you, and I wouldn’t expect you to. But many are just as personal as the ones you feel strongly about for others. Alternatively, that’s not a good look for you. I bet you care as much as I do about that, though. 

"The survival of the Republic" as the #1, predicate issue = "not a good look."

If you genuinely believe that to be the case, I truly don't want to know what you think IS a "good look."

Edited July 6, 2022 by Brisketexan

[Sbbruin 21866]

I wish someone would false flag her gorilla face.

I don't know if I hate someone more on all of the earth.

[Dr. Teeth 5845]

4 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

 

That woman is going to chair a committee next year. But gas prices. 

[TexasEd 8071]

5 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

 

See this would get you on a red flag list which is why she opposes red flag lists.

 

[Bama Chick 28596]

But you see, we can't do anything because AR-15s are really good for controlling the feral pig populations on ranches, or something.

And someone might have to pay some taxes that might benefit someone I deem unworthy so fuck that baby and his dead parents and his bloody feet.

I’m not paying for some hipster’s basket weaving student loans and if that results in a few bloody footed orphaned babies? Just the cost of freedom!

[WhatTheBuck 28797]

8 hours ago, Nivek said:

Again, the total ban is not really a politically viable option is it?  I could redesign this country to be better across the board but that isn't going to happen without me becoming a dictator first.  

What did Bill Clinton do? We should do that again. 

[4th&Five 41586]

4 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

 

[Gil Bang 25997]

 

 

[Guest]

Some super awful poll results of 1,200 registered Texas voters:

https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/new-uttexas-politics-project-poll-share-texans-saying-state-wrong-track-reaches-new-high-while

Yes, that's the problem! There aren't enough guns! Nevermind there are already 120 firearms per 100 people in this country. Maybe if we have enough to fill both hands at once, we'll finally have enough.

 

 

 

For Republicans, "too many doors" doubles the number who say gun laws are the issue. Sure, an 18 year old can buy two AR-15s and 2,000 rounds of ammo, but did you know that children as young as three years old are able to open doors?!

 

[Gil Bang 25997]

13 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

 

 

apologies for quoting myself, but I just realized that Serpico "may" be the last cop that we've see with both balls, and a brain. 

[B00M 6455]

6 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

America has already forgotten about this.  We now have another mass shooting to focus on for a few days.  Until the next one and then this current one will be forgotten.  People do not have the attention span and cannot be bothered.

Maybe eventually we'll care so little that the psychos will stop doing it 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Some super awful poll results of 1,200 registered Texas voters:

https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/new-uttexas-politics-project-poll-share-texans-saying-state-wrong-track-reaches-new-high-while

Yes, that's the problem! There aren't enough guns! Nevermind there are already 120 firearms per 100 people in this country. Maybe if we have enough to fill both hands at once, we'll finally have enough.

 

 

 

For Republicans, "too many doors" doubles the number who say gun laws are the issue. Sure, an 18 year old can buy two AR-15s and 2,000 rounds of ammo, but did you know that children as young as three years old are able to open doors?!

 

The 'failure' of the mental health system tag is a pat answer in that the mental health 'system' is more fragile than tissue if it is even available. We had to wait almost a year, pre-pandemic, for one of my children to be seen by a professional. Like the comments before, it's complicated when mental health and rights are involved. We aren't that far removed (20th century) from husbands deciding that they were ready for a new model and so had their current spouse committed and they were allowed to do so soley on their word that she was mentally incapacitated. 

 

[Biff Tannen 45710]

1 hour ago, B00M said:

Maybe eventually we'll care so little that the psychos will stop doing it 

[Satchel 6948]

The increasing militarization of US society will be hard to stop:

https://www.ft.com/content/a6656470-a11a-4156-bf60-a13ff08f04c0

Guns do not kill people, insists the US gun lobby. It is people who do that. It follows that whatever the level of American mass shootings, or its gun homicide rate, the solution is to improve morals not impose gun control. Reducing Americans’ access to firearms would rob them of their constitutional right to self-defence. Picking holes in such reasoning is easier than shooting fish in a barrel — not least in its distortion of America’s second amendment, which protects the existence of “well regulated” militias, not unregulated private arsenals. But reason is no match for a lobby that can end political careers and make or break presidential campaigns. The right question is not when will this end but where will it lead?
 

Contrary to received wisdom, it has not always been simple to buy a gun in the United States. Until the mid-20th century, judicial consensus interpreted the second amendment as guaranteeing the right of states to defend against federal tyranny or imperial revenge. That reading has since been refracted into the untrammelled right of individuals to own almost any firearm they want — and to conceal them in almost any public space. In the words of Warren Burger, the former US chief justice, “the gun lobby’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud . . . that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”  Yet it is now an article of faith among conservative jurists, including two-thirds of the US Supreme Court, and most of America’s state legislatures.

The rate of increase of guns in circulation has been steep. In the past decade, the volume of private firearms has jumped more than a third to 120 guns per hundred Americans. The US now accounts for 46 per cent of all private gun ownership worldwide — more than ten times its share of the global population. Each fresh atrocity, such as the mass shooting on Monday at a July 4 parade in suburban Chicago, leads to an increase in gun sales. The jump in the homicide rate by about 40 per cent in major cities in the past two years has fuelled that insecurity. The more anxious Americans feel about rising crime, the steeper the demand curve. Some of this probably reflects pessimism about the chances of serious gun reform, although the US Senate did recently agree a modest “red flag” law that tightens checks on people under 21 and prohibits sales to all domestic abusers. Yet the direction of travel is almost all the other way.

Earlier this year, the National Rifle Association, the ruthlessly effective gun lobby, celebrated a milestone that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago. Half of America’s states have now passed laws that let gun owners carry weapons in public without a permit. The first state to pass such a sweeping law was Alaska in 2003. Georgia became the 25th in April. Since then, the Supreme Court has struck down New York’s century-old law that required anyone carrying guns in public to show “proper cause”. The ruling opens the floodgates to many more such challenges. Bit by bit, but with increasing speed, what remains of US gun control is being demolished. This new age of unregulated guns coincides with the growing militarisation of US society and the equivalent of a cold war in domestic politics. Until 2004, sales of AR-15s and other military-style assault weapons were banned. Now they are flying off the shelves. That particular rifle keeps showing up in mass shootings. It is not just that America has more guns around; they are more lethal than they used to be.

The brute statistics conceal even more disquieting trends. In the last generation, the share of American homes that own guns has actually fallen. Some of this is about hunting’s decline as a US pastime, which is linked to urbanisation. That means there are more guns owned by fewer people. Some homes have caches that could qualify as their own mini-militias. Twenty years ago the NRA mostly advertised hunting gear. Today its website markets tactical battlefield accessories.

As the NRA monetises American paranoia, people ask themselves, “where is safe any more?” Not churches, or schools or shopping malls. One rare refuge is the Supreme Court. A recently foiled attempt on the life of Brett Kavanaugh, one of its nine justices, has prompted tighter security. The court seems disinclined to scrap a rule that makes it unlawful for anyone “to carry or have readily available to the person any ‘firearm’” in the court’s vicinity. Apart from threats to itself, however, America’s highest court is likely to remain unwavering in its support for gun rights.

[Anastasis 23481]

4 minutes ago, Satchel said:

Some homes have caches that could qualify as their own mini-militias.

[Biff Tannen 45710]

1 hour ago, Satchel said:

The increasing militarization of US society will be hard to stop:

https://www.ft.com/content/a6656470-a11a-4156-bf60-a13ff08f04c0

Guns do not kill people, insists the US gun lobby. It is people who do that. It follows that whatever the level of American mass shootings, or its gun homicide rate, the solution is to improve morals not impose gun control. Reducing Americans’ access to firearms would rob them of their constitutional right to self-defence. Picking holes in such reasoning is easier than shooting fish in a barrel — not least in its distortion of America’s second amendment, which protects the existence of “well regulated” militias, not unregulated private arsenals. But reason is no match for a lobby that can end political careers and make or break presidential campaigns. The right question is not when will this end but where will it lead?
 

Contrary to received wisdom, it has not always been simple to buy a gun in the United States. Until the mid-20th century, judicial consensus interpreted the second amendment as guaranteeing the right of states to defend against federal tyranny or imperial revenge. That reading has since been refracted into the untrammelled right of individuals to own almost any firearm they want — and to conceal them in almost any public space. In the words of Warren Burger, the former US chief justice, “the gun lobby’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud . . . that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”  Yet it is now an article of faith among conservative jurists, including two-thirds of the US Supreme Court, and most of America’s state legislatures.

The rate of increase of guns in circulation has been steep. In the past decade, the volume of private firearms has jumped more than a third to 120 guns per hundred Americans. The US now accounts for 46 per cent of all private gun ownership worldwide — more than ten times its share of the global population. Each fresh atrocity, such as the mass shooting on Monday at a July 4 parade in suburban Chicago, leads to an increase in gun sales. The jump in the homicide rate by about 40 per cent in major cities in the past two years has fuelled that insecurity. The more anxious Americans feel about rising crime, the steeper the demand curve. Some of this probably reflects pessimism about the chances of serious gun reform, although the US Senate did recently agree a modest “red flag” law that tightens checks on people under 21 and prohibits sales to all domestic abusers. Yet the direction of travel is almost all the other way.

Earlier this year, the National Rifle Association, the ruthlessly effective gun lobby, celebrated a milestone that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago. Half of America’s states have now passed laws that let gun owners carry weapons in public without a permit. The first state to pass such a sweeping law was Alaska in 2003. Georgia became the 25th in April. Since then, the Supreme Court has struck down New York’s century-old law that required anyone carrying guns in public to show “proper cause”. The ruling opens the floodgates to many more such challenges. Bit by bit, but with increasing speed, what remains of US gun control is being demolished. This new age of unregulated guns coincides with the growing militarisation of US society and the equivalent of a cold war in domestic politics. Until 2004, sales of AR-15s and other military-style assault weapons were banned. Now they are flying off the shelves. That particular rifle keeps showing up in mass shootings. It is not just that America has more guns around; they are more lethal than they used to be.

The brute statistics conceal even more disquieting trends. In the last generation, the share of American homes that own guns has actually fallen. Some of this is about hunting’s decline as a US pastime, which is linked to urbanisation. That means there are more guns owned by fewer people. Some homes have caches that could qualify as their own mini-militias. Twenty years ago the NRA mostly advertised hunting gear. Today its website markets tactical battlefield accessories.

As the NRA monetises American paranoia, people ask themselves, “where is safe any more?” Not churches, or schools or shopping malls. One rare refuge is the Supreme Court. A recently foiled attempt on the life of Brett Kavanaugh, one of its nine justices, has prompted tighter security. The court seems disinclined to scrap a rule that makes it unlawful for anyone “to carry or have readily available to the person any ‘firearm’” in the court’s vicinity. Apart from threats to itself, however, America’s highest court is likely to remain unwavering in its support for gun rights.

No one on this site that needs to read this article will read it.  If they do, their brains will not let them understand it.

I'm serious.  There is a large part of our population that is completely batshit crazy when it comes to guns and rational thought.  It's worse than the dotard cult, though there is a TON of overlap.

I'm really having trouble with it the past couple of shootings (holy fuck I typed that sentence).  I can't rationalize their thinking (or lack thereof) in my brain.  It breaks my reality to see the "arguments" for guns.  I just can't.  These people ARE BROKEN.

[Satchel 6948]

1 minute ago, Biff Tannen said:

No one on this site that needs to read this article will read it.  If they do, their brains will not let them understand it.

I'm serious.  There is a large part of our population that is completely batshit crazy when it comes to guns and rational thought.  It's worse than the dotard cult, though there is a TON of overlap.

I'm really having trouble with it the past couple of shootings (holy fuck I typed that sentence).  I can't rationalize their thinking (or lack thereof) in my brain.  It breaks my reality to see the "arguments" for guns.  I just can't.  These people ARE BROKEN.

Is is too soon to repeat that in America we value guns more than people? 

[B00M 6455]

3 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

No one on this site that needs to read this article will read it.  If they do, their brains will not let them understand it.

I'm serious.  There is a large part of our population that is completely batshit crazy when it comes to guns and rational thought.  It's worse than the dotard cult, though there is a TON of overlap.

I'm really having trouble with it the past couple of shootings (holy fuck I typed that sentence).  I can't rationalize their thinking (or lack thereof) in my brain.  It breaks my reality to see the "arguments" for guns.  I just can't.  These people ARE BROKEN.

Since one of the ~five people on my ignore list doesn't understand how to paste in plain text and the link is paywalled, you're probably right that no one will read it.

But shoot, I'll bite. I highlighted it and read it and didn't see anything unique or thought provoking. So please, enlighten me. What's your policy on private ownership and possession of firearms in the US if you were king? How should a woman or elderly citizen defend themself?

Since all anyone talks about are mass shootings, per a motherjones data set going back to 1982, ~1 thousand (1,052) Americans have been killed by these pieces of shit. For perspective, the low end estimate for defensive gun use in the US is 50k per year or ~2 million since 1982.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by B00M

[956 Worldwide 34746]

5 hours ago, Satchel said:

Is is too soon to repeat that in America we value guns more than people? 

This is absolutely the case.  I cannot stress enough that the people who blame “mental health” are the very same people who staunchly oppose making mental or any other health care more accessible or affordable.  If pressed, their best idea is to expand involuntary commitment.  You understand that correctly— it is less of a limitation of freedom to forcibly detain people with mental illness, who may or may not be dangerous, than it is to restrict weapons availability.  This is the argument. 
 

Slight digression.  At one point I lived in a hot, angry, dangerous place that ended in “-Stan.” A place where national day was celebrated with gunfire (by the by, in Oakland some people got hit by stray celebratory rounds).  I was very angry and pessimistic when I left, and it took me some time to work through how I felt and things like having partners gunned down.  I have to say that more and more, one branch of the U.S. political spectrum reminds me of the conservative (not terrorist) population of that country.  The answer to everything is harshness— more detentions. More security. More brutal punishments. More armed people to take on the “miscreants”. And a feckless, effete “liberal” class that throws up their hands.  
 

We are well down the road of becoming that sort of brutal, punishing, merciless people and so we will live in a brutal, punishing, merciless society. 

[Vegas64 677]

7 hours ago, B00M said:

Since one of the ~five people on my ignore list doesn't understand how to paste in plain text and the link is paywalled, you're probably right that no one will read it.

But shoot, I'll bite. I highlighted it and read it and didn't see anything unique or thought provoking. So please, enlighten me. What's your policy on private ownership and possession of firearms in the US if you were king? How should a woman or elderly citizen defend themself?

Since all anyone talks about are mass shootings, per a motherjones data set going back to 1982, ~1 thousand (1,052) Americans have been killed by these pieces of shit. For perspective, the low end estimate for defensive gun use in the US is 50k per year or ~2 million since 1982.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/

 

 

 

If this data is true, and I'm not suggesting that I've fact checked it and believe it or disbelieve it, but if it is true I'm reminded of the Trolley Question thread and the philosophical angle on this topic. It's more a moral and philosophical quandary than it is a math equation, then. The trolly question for you would look like this:

1 thousand innocent and random americans ranging from toddlers to the elderly will be mercilessly run over by a trolly when they least expect it. You can pull a lever and instead save them and instead disallow 2 million defensive uses of guns (without any secondary data pointing to how many lives saved or taken in that time). What do you do?

Edited July 7, 2022 by Vegas64

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

5 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

This is absolutely the case.  I cannot stress enough that the people who blame “mental health” are the very same people who staunchly oppose making mental or any other health care more accessible or affordable.  If pressed, their best idea is to expand involuntary commitment.  You understand that correctly— it is less of a limitation of freedom to forcibly detain people with mental illness, who may or may not be dangerous, than it is to restrict weapons availability.  This is the argument. 
...

We are well down the road of becoming that sort of brutal, punishing, merciless people and so we will live in a brutal, punishing, merciless society. 

Just to be clear:

1 - I think we need much more control over who can own guns and under what circumstances
2- I also believe, independent of this, that we need a robust public healthcare system AND unviersal healthcare with would also include robust mental healthcare and I ALSO

3- Support enhancing the circumstances under which friends, family and public officials are able to intervene and care for an ill person against their will.

I think all of those things speak to the health and compassion of a society and the degree to which we provide supportive community to one another. 

[Brisketexan 105260]

38 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Just to be clear:

1 - I think we need much more control over who can own guns and under what circumstances
2- I also believe, independent of this, that we need a robust public healthcare system AND unviersal healthcare with would also include robust mental healthcare and I ALSO

3- Support enhancing the circumstances under which friends, family and public officials are able to intervene and care for an ill person against their will.

I think all of those things speak to the health and compassion of a society and the degree to which we provide supportive community to one another. 

But, in fairness, you're a pink-shirt-wearing commie.

[Nivek 16976]

If this data is true, and I'm not suggesting that I've fact checked it and believe it or disbelieve it, but if it is true I'm reminded of the Trolley Question thread and the philosophical angle on this topic. It's more a moral and philosophical quandary than it is a math equation, then. The trolly question for you would look like this:
1 thousand innocent and random americans ranging from toddlers to the elderly will be mercilessly run over by a trolly when they least expect it. You can pull a lever and instead save them and instead disallow 2 million defensive uses of guns (without any secondary data pointing to how many lives saved or taken in that time). What do you do?

This is moronic.

[WhatTheBuck 28797]

12 minutes ago, Nivek said:

This is moronic.

You noticed that too, huh?

[Brisketexan 105260]

6 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I have to say that more and more, one branch of the U.S. political spectrum reminds me of the conservative (not terrorist) population of that country.  The answer to everything is harshness— more detentions. More security. More brutal punishments. More armed people to take on the “miscreants”. And a feckless, effete “liberal” class that throws up their hands.  
 

We are well down the road of becoming that sort of brutal, punishing, merciless people and so we will live in a brutal, punishing, merciless society. 

Also, this.  This is the America that they want, and are actively pushing for.  They are willing to upend our institutions and destroy the Republic to make this dream a reality.  This - THIS - is what we're going to sacrifice the Republic to gain?  WTF?

I'd understand if we were gonna sacrifice the Republic for a guaranteed century of UT football dominance, free BBQ and Popeyes on demand, and an army of Sela Ward clones.  But to sacrifice it for a brutal, punishing, merciless, and cruel society with no hope of changing it?  Dumbest trade EVER.

[chainsaw 9873]

6 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

This is absolutely the case.  I cannot stress enough that the people who blame “mental health” are the very same people who staunchly oppose making mental or any other health care more accessible or affordable.  If pressed, their best idea is to expand involuntary commitment.  You understand that correctly— it is less of a limitation of freedom to forcibly detain people with mental illness, who may or may not be dangerous, than it is to restrict weapons availability.  This is the argument. 
 

Slight digression.  At one point I lived in a hot, angry, dangerous place that ended in “-Stan.” A place where national day was celebrated with gunfire (by the by, in Oakland some people got hit by stray celebratory rounds).  I was very angry and pessimistic when I left, and it took me some time to work through how I felt and things like having partners gunned down.  I have to say that more and more, one branch of the U.S. political spectrum reminds me of the conservative (not terrorist) population of that country.  The answer to everything is harshness— more detentions. More security. More brutal punishments. More armed people to take on the “miscreants”. And a feckless, effete “liberal” class that throws up their hands.  
 

We are well down the road of becoming that sort of brutal, punishing, merciless people and so we will live in a brutal, punishing, merciless society. 

Isn't that more or less what happened to Iran in like the 1970s?

[jimmyjazz 46086]

1 hour ago, Vegas64 said:

1 thousand innocent and random americans ranging from toddlers to the elderly will be mercilessly run over by a trolly when they least expect it. You can pull a lever and instead save them and instead disallow 2 million defensive uses of guns (without any secondary data pointing to how many lives saved or taken in that time). What do you do?

But that's not the tradeoff.  A drastic reduction in mass shootings doesn't have to come at the expense of defensive use of guns.  High rate, high capacity weapons represent a tiny fraction (~ 5%) of all firearms in the US.  Beyond that, they aren't typically used for self defense.  I see no need to ban most handguns, shotguns, or rifles, so "self defense" could remain an option for most Americans.

[SmokeyTheBear 5562]

25 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Also, this.  This is the America that they want, and are actively pushing for.  They are willing to upend our institutions and destroy the Republic to make this dream a reality.  This - THIS - is what we're going to sacrifice the Republic to gain?  WTF?

I'd understand if we were gonna sacrifice the Republic for a guaranteed century of UT football dominance, free BBQ and Popeyes on demand, and an army of Sela Ward clones.  But to sacrifice it for a brutal, punishing, merciless, and cruel society with no hope of changing it?  Dumbest trade EVER.

Weak people need "strong men" to feel secure

[Brisketexan 105260]

Just now, SmokeyTheBear said:

Weak people need "strong men" to feel secure

It would be better if they were satisfied with Popeyes and Sela Ward.

I know I would be.

[Dahobbs 17652]

9 hours ago, B00M said:

Since one of the ~five people on my ignore list doesn't understand how to paste in plain text and the link is paywalled, you're probably right that no one will read it.

But shoot, I'll bite. I highlighted it and read it and didn't see anything unique or thought provoking. So please, enlighten me. What's your policy on private ownership and possession of firearms in the US if you were king? How should a woman or elderly citizen defend themself?

Since all anyone talks about are mass shootings, per a motherjones data set going back to 1982, ~1 thousand (1,052) Americans have been killed by these pieces of shit. For perspective, the low end estimate for defensive gun use in the US is 50k per year or ~2 million since 1982.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/

 

 

 

What point did you take from the article? It seems you didn't understand it based on your response. 

[Vegas64 677]

29 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

But that's not the tradeoff.  A drastic reduction in mass shootings doesn't have to come at the expense of defensive use of guns.  High rate, high capacity weapons represent a tiny fraction (~ 5%) of all firearms in the US.  Beyond that, they aren't typically used for self defense.  I see no need to ban most handguns, shotguns, or rifles, so "self defense" could remain an option for most Americans.

I understand that, but was trying to meet the OP who posted that data where he was (which is a place that didn't seem to understand it's not the tradeoff).

Edited July 7, 2022 by Vegas64

[Anastasis 23481]

Recent study profiling mass shootings since 1966.

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings

Full report @: https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/302101.pdf

Persons who committed public mass shootings in the U.S. over the last half century were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time, and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire. Most were insiders of a targeted institution, such as an employee or student. Except for young school shooters who stole the guns from family members, most used legally obtained handguns in those shootings.

Those are prominent traits of persons who have engaged in public mass shootings – that is, a shooting that kills four or more people[1] – collected in a comprehensive new database of identified U.S. mass shootings from 1966 to 2019. The data on 172 mass public shooters cover more than 150 psychosocial history variables, such as those individuals’ mental health history, past trauma, interest in past shootings, and situational triggers.

With support from the National Institute of Justice, The Violence Project database has drawn data exclusively from open sources such as social media sites and online newspapers. The aim is to build a broader understanding on the part of the public, the justice system, and the research community of who mass shooters are and what motivates their decision to discharge firearms at multiple people.

As part of the project, researchers also separately interviewed persons in prison who had engaged in mass shootings, in part to look for shared traits.

...

Other Key Findings and Applicability

Trauma, Suicidality, and Crisis

Suicidality was found to be a strong predictor of perpetration of mass shootings. Of all mass shooters in the The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.

In terms of past trauma, 31% of persons who perpetrated mass shootings were found to have experiences of severe childhood trauma, and over 80% were in crisis.

Trauma was a common element of the backgrounds of those committing mass shooting, both in the database and the qualitative studies. Early intervention through school-based services may be a key component of early prevention.

Addressing Trauma

NIJ’s CrimeSolutions has rated programs as effective or promising for reducing the impact of trauma on youth. See:

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

Bounce Back

Enhancing Resiliency Amongst Student Experiencing Stress (ERASE-Stress) in Israel

Crisis / Mental Illness

In public discourse, mass shootings are often blamed on mental illness. But the research indicates the role of mental illness in mass shootings is complicated, not clear-cut. Mental health issues were common among those who engaged in mass shootings, with psychosis playing a minor role in nearly one third of the cases, but a primary role 10% of the time.

The data indicate, however, that nearly all persons who engage in mass shootings were in state of crisis in the days or weeks preceding the shooting.

Warning Signs — Leakage

Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers. Legacy tokens, such as manifestos, were left behind by 23.4% of those who committed mass shootings. About 70% of individuals who perpetrated mass shooting knew at least some of their victims. In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were “insiders” — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.

The fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings provides an opportunity for intervention. Anonymous reporting systems may increase the likelihood of leakage and is an important area for more research. Threat assessment teams that intervene with a holistic, collaborative approach to intervention are promising.

Firearms

Notably, most individuals who engaged in mass shootings used handguns (77.2%), and 25.1% used assault rifles in the commission of their crimes. Of the known mass shooting cases (32.5% of cases could not be confirmed), 77% of those who engaged in mass shootings purchased at least some of their guns legally, while illegal purchases were made by 13% of those committing mass shootings. In cases involving K-12 school shootings, over 80% of individuals who engaged in shootings stole guns from family members.

The findings support safe storage of guns. Yet, the researchers noted that there are no federal laws requiring safe storage of guns, and no federal standards for firearm locks. The data also support “red flag” laws permitting law enforcement or family members to petition a state court to order temporary removal of a firearm from a person who presents a danger.

Motivation Over Time

Since the 1970s, the only statistically significant change in motivations for mass shootings is the decrease in shootings motivated by employment issues.

Script

The data show that many individuals who engage in mass shootings study past mass shooters — one in five (21.6%) studied other mass shooters, and many are radicalized online. The researchers recommended media literacy education as a means of helping people critically consume information and counter extremist propaganda that facilitates violence.

Mass Shooting Demographics

Of the 172 individuals who engaged in public mass shootings covered in the database, 97.7% were male. Ages ranged from 11 to 70, with a mean age of 34.1. Those  shooting were 52.3% White, 20.9% Black, 8.1% Latino, 6.4% Asian, 4.2% Middle Eastern, and 1.8% Native American.

Most individuals who perpetrated mass shootings had a prior criminal record (64.5%) and a history of violence (62.8%), including domestic violence (27.9%). And 28.5% had a military background. Most died on the scene of the public mass shooting, with 38.4% dying by their own hand and 20.3% killed by law enforcement officers.

Locations of Mass Shootings

Locations of public mass shootings, by percentage of all occurrences in the database, were:

Location Percent

Workplace 30.8

Retail establishment 16.9

Bar or restaurant 13.4

Residential location 8.1

Outdoors 8.1

K-12 school 7.6

Place of worship 6.4

College or university 5.2

Government or place of civic importance 3.5

Interviews

The research team cautioned that the qualitative data, from five interviews, did not lend themselves to generalization, because each individual’s story is unique. There was no single profile of a person who engaged in a mass shooting, but the interviewed mass shooters shared the following traits:

Early childhood trauma and exposure to violence.

An identifiable grievance or crisis point.

Validation of beliefs — finding inspiration in past shootings by others.

The means to carry out an attack.

Other Limitations

The database used open source data, leaving room for bias, the researchers noted, because the source data were originally gathered for different purposes. Media outlets have their own biases, in terms of coverage of different mass shootings. Generally, the report noted, certain categories of mass shootings tended to attract the most coverage. They include bias in favor of coverage of mass shootings related to:

K-12 schools

Military bases

Higher body counts or younger victims

Assault rifles

Clustered with other shootings

The researchers cautioned readers to interpret mass shooting trends over time with caution, in light of the fact that mass shootings are extreme and rare events.

[hayden_horn 11365]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Just to be clear:

1 - I think we need much more control over who can own guns and under what circumstances
2- I also believe, independent of this, that we need a robust public healthcare system AND unviersal healthcare with would also include robust mental healthcare and I ALSO

3- Support enhancing the circumstances under which friends, family and public officials are able to intervene and care for an ill person against their will.

I think all of those things speak to the health and compassion of a society and the degree to which we provide supportive community to one another. 

weird.

the consistency inherent in this take.

this is the cloak room.

[fattyflattie 4638]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

But, in fairness, you're a pink-shirt-wearing commie.

Salmon,sir. 

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

It would be better if they were satisfied with Popeyes and Sela Ward.

I know I would be.

If you've got a mid-30's version and some Popeye's, you can have everything but my OU's.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

But that's not the tradeoff.  A drastic reduction in mass shootings doesn't have to come at the expense of defensive use of guns.  High rate, high capacity weapons represent a tiny fraction (~ 5%) of all firearms in the US.  Beyond that, they aren't typically used for self defense.  I see no need to ban most handguns, shotguns, or rifles, so "self defense" could remain an option for most Americans.

This is an aside, but yes- this, absolutely. The AR15 isn’t the best gun for anything, and it’s among the very worst guns for self-defense (unless you are defending yourself from cops or a sounder of hogs, but it’s still not the best thing for either).  

[fattyflattie 4638]

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

it’s among the very worst guns for self-defense

Extremely debatable.  SBR in various chamberings gives you a fuckload of tailor made options for what you’re trying to defend.   Unless you are discussing on person carry, and not a domicile. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by fattyflattie

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

11 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Extremely debatable.  SBR in various chamberings gives you a fuckload of tailor made options for what you’re trying to defend.   Unless you are discussing on person carry, and not a domicile. 

I 100% disagree.

First of all, A terrified person is unlikely to aim well, and is also likely to keep pulling the trigger, and those two facts combined with typical 5.56 rounds that easily punch through walls and a 30 round magazine are a recipe for collateral damage. 
Second, most of the "builds" I see are so festooned with tacticool chintz they look like they were concepted by Mitch Cumsteen's wife. "Hold on Mr Burgler, let me unbox the old zombie killer here.. there we go, now let me get the lights on and fold out my bipods for stability... ok, rock n' roll!"



Yo dog we heard you like sights so we put a sight on your sight so you can aim while you aim

 

A terrified person needs a shotgun to defend themselves, not Polly Pockets. It makes a scary noise before you fire, you don't have to aim it much, and you won't shoot into your kids bedroom through the kitchen wall. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Bozo_Casanova

[fattyflattie 4638]

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

combined with typical 5.56 rounds that easily punch through walls

Please reread what I wrote.  I agree a 16” 5.56 is not. 
 

Variants in 9mm, .40, and others are readily available (SBR and short barrel carbines). My brother was on our county emergency response team for a while, and his close qtr service rifle (AR pistol) was unbelievable nimble, easy to shoot and handle.  It was a best of both worlds firearm, and purpose built for residence entry. I’ll see if I can find an old pic. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by fattyflattie

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

8 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Please reread what I wrote.  I agree a 16” 5.56 is not. 
 

Variants in 9mm, .40, and others are readily available (SBR and short barrel carbines). My brother was on our county emergency response team for a while, and his close qtr service rifle (AR pistol) was unbelievable nimble, easy to shoot and handle.  It was a best of both worlds firearm, and purpose built for residence entry. I’ll see if I can find an old pic. 

You don't think regular range pack FMJ 5.56 (or 9mm or .40, for that matter) would go right through an interior wall coming out of a short barrel? You've got to put me in touch with your builder. 
And look I get your point about being nimble but we agree your brother is not just like a regular dude, right?  My point is that if I was going to keep a loaded gun around the house, it would be a 12Ga Pump or a Judge/Governor with a roll of .410s, because I'm not aiming shit in a crisis. I'm pointing. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Bozo_Casanova

[royiv 9339]

Oh, great. More bullet talk.

[fattyflattie 4638]

Just now, Bozo_Casanova said:

You don't think regular range pack FMJ 5.56 (or 9mm or .40, for that matter) would go right through an interior wall coming out of a short barrel? You've got to put me in touch with your builder. 
And look I get your point about being nimble but we agree your brother is not just like a regular dude, right?  My point is that if I was going to keep a loaded gun around the house or in the car, it would be a 12Ga Pump or a Judge Governor with a roll of .410s, because I'm not aiming shit in a crisis. I'm pointing. 

I’m not going to go back and forth so the board can neg name another 100 times. But there are studies on this. Trust me, I’ve argued with @BabaYaga on it vs a 12g a million times (I was always a shotgun under the bed guy) Apparently buckshot is very bad for penetrating walls, worse than other rounds you’d not expect.  
 

And I agree that yes, lil bro is (was) a highly trained and efficient firearm operator. It’d be nice if everyone trained a lot and never had to use the training. 

[Biff Tannen 45710]

6 minutes ago, royiv said:

Oh, great. More bullet talk.

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Trauma, Suicidality, and Crisis

Suicidality was found to be a strong predictor of perpetration of mass shootings. Of all mass shooters in the The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.

In terms of past trauma, 31% of persons who perpetrated mass shootings were found to have experiences of severe childhood trauma, and over 80% were in crisis.

Trauma was a common element of the backgrounds of those committing mass shooting, both in the database and the qualitative studies. Early intervention through school-based services may be a key component of early prevention.

Addressing Trauma

NIJ’s CrimeSolutions has rated programs as effective or promising for reducing the impact of trauma on youth. See:

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

Bounce Back

Enhancing Resiliency Amongst Student Experiencing Stress (ERASE-Stress) in Israel

Crisis / Mental Illness

In public discourse, mass shootings are often blamed on mental illness. But the research indicates the role of mental illness in mass shootings is complicated, not clear-cut. Mental health issues were common among those who engaged in mass shootings, with psychosis playing a minor role in nearly one third of the cases, but a primary role 10% of the time.

The data indicate, however, that nearly all persons who engage in mass shootings were in state of crisis in the days or weeks preceding the shooting.

Warning Signs — Leakage

Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers. Legacy tokens, such as manifestos, were left behind by 23.4% of those who committed mass shootings. About 70% of individuals who perpetrated mass shooting knew at least some of their victims. In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were “insiders” — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.

The fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings provides an opportunity for intervention. Anonymous reporting systems may increase the likelihood of leakage and is an important area for more research. Threat assessment teams that intervene with a holistic, collaborative approach to intervention are promising.

I've ready this before and it always irks me that squishy progressives (no doubt motivated by the noble desire too destigmatize and thus ignore mental illness) will frequently point to the that "psychosis" does not play a primary role and therefore we can have a "just gun control" strategy, despite the fact that NEARLY ALL persons are in a state of crisis, half of them let people know before hand, and that suicidal ideation precedes the event in the vast majority of young shooters. In other words, any solution required more forward leaning supportive care. And besides all that, more forward leaning approaches to public health and mental healthcare would also help address the needs of millions of families in crisis who don't love someone that ends of shooting lots of people. Can you imagine? We could actually care for each other if we wanted. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Bozo_Casanova

[fattyflattie 4638]

Just now, Biff Tannen said:

I bowed out immediately.
 

Let’s get back on track.  Guns are terrible!1!!  Republicans are Nazis!!1!  

[TexasHooch 5136]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Recent study profiling mass shootings since 1966.

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings

Full report @: https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/302101.pdf

Persons who committed public mass shootings in the U.S. over the last half century were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time, and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire. Most were insiders of a targeted institution, such as an employee or student. Except for young school shooters who stole the guns from family members, most used legally obtained handguns in those shootings.

Those are prominent traits of persons who have engaged in public mass shootings – that is, a shooting that kills four or more people[1] – collected in a comprehensive new database of identified U.S. mass shootings from 1966 to 2019. The data on 172 mass public shooters cover more than 150 psychosocial history variables, such as those individuals’ mental health history, past trauma, interest in past shootings, and situational triggers.

With support from the National Institute of Justice, The Violence Project database has drawn data exclusively from open sources such as social media sites and online newspapers. The aim is to build a broader understanding on the part of the public, the justice system, and the research community of who mass shooters are and what motivates their decision to discharge firearms at multiple people.

As part of the project, researchers also separately interviewed persons in prison who had engaged in mass shootings, in part to look for shared traits.

...

Other Key Findings and Applicability

Trauma, Suicidality, and Crisis

Suicidality was found to be a strong predictor of perpetration of mass shootings. Of all mass shooters in the The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.

In terms of past trauma, 31% of persons who perpetrated mass shootings were found to have experiences of severe childhood trauma, and over 80% were in crisis.

Trauma was a common element of the backgrounds of those committing mass shooting, both in the database and the qualitative studies. Early intervention through school-based services may be a key component of early prevention.

Addressing Trauma

NIJ’s CrimeSolutions has rated programs as effective or promising for reducing the impact of trauma on youth. See:

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

Bounce Back

Enhancing Resiliency Amongst Student Experiencing Stress (ERASE-Stress) in Israel

Crisis / Mental Illness

In public discourse, mass shootings are often blamed on mental illness. But the research indicates the role of mental illness in mass shootings is complicated, not clear-cut. Mental health issues were common among those who engaged in mass shootings, with psychosis playing a minor role in nearly one third of the cases, but a primary role 10% of the time.

The data indicate, however, that nearly all persons who engage in mass shootings were in state of crisis in the days or weeks preceding the shooting.

Warning Signs — Leakage

Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers. Legacy tokens, such as manifestos, were left behind by 23.4% of those who committed mass shootings. About 70% of individuals who perpetrated mass shooting knew at least some of their victims. In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were “insiders” — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.

The fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings provides an opportunity for intervention. Anonymous reporting systems may increase the likelihood of leakage and is an important area for more research. Threat assessment teams that intervene with a holistic, collaborative approach to intervention are promising.

Firearms

Notably, most individuals who engaged in mass shootings used handguns (77.2%), and 25.1% used assault rifles in the commission of their crimes. Of the known mass shooting cases (32.5% of cases could not be confirmed), 77% of those who engaged in mass shootings purchased at least some of their guns legally, while illegal purchases were made by 13% of those committing mass shootings. In cases involving K-12 school shootings, over 80% of individuals who engaged in shootings stole guns from family members.

The findings support safe storage of guns. Yet, the researchers noted that there are no federal laws requiring safe storage of guns, and no federal standards for firearm locks. The data also support “red flag” laws permitting law enforcement or family members to petition a state court to order temporary removal of a firearm from a person who presents a danger.

Motivation Over Time

Since the 1970s, the only statistically significant change in motivations for mass shootings is the decrease in shootings motivated by employment issues.

Script

The data show that many individuals who engage in mass shootings study past mass shooters — one in five (21.6%) studied other mass shooters, and many are radicalized online. The researchers recommended media literacy education as a means of helping people critically consume information and counter extremist propaganda that facilitates violence.

Mass Shooting Demographics

Of the 172 individuals who engaged in public mass shootings covered in the database, 97.7% were male. Ages ranged from 11 to 70, with a mean age of 34.1. Those  shooting were 52.3% White, 20.9% Black, 8.1% Latino, 6.4% Asian, 4.2% Middle Eastern, and 1.8% Native American.

Most individuals who perpetrated mass shootings had a prior criminal record (64.5%) and a history of violence (62.8%), including domestic violence (27.9%). And 28.5% had a military background. Most died on the scene of the public mass shooting, with 38.4% dying by their own hand and 20.3% killed by law enforcement officers.

Locations of Mass Shootings

Locations of public mass shootings, by percentage of all occurrences in the database, were:

Location Percent

Workplace 30.8

Retail establishment 16.9

Bar or restaurant 13.4

Residential location 8.1

Outdoors 8.1

K-12 school 7.6

Place of worship 6.4

College or university 5.2

Government or place of civic importance 3.5

Interviews

The research team cautioned that the qualitative data, from five interviews, did not lend themselves to generalization, because each individual’s story is unique. There was no single profile of a person who engaged in a mass shooting, but the interviewed mass shooters shared the following traits:

Early childhood trauma and exposure to violence.

An identifiable grievance or crisis point.

Validation of beliefs — finding inspiration in past shootings by others.

The means to carry out an attack.

Other Limitations

The database used open source data, leaving room for bias, the researchers noted, because the source data were originally gathered for different purposes. Media outlets have their own biases, in terms of coverage of different mass shootings. Generally, the report noted, certain categories of mass shootings tended to attract the most coverage. They include bias in favor of coverage of mass shootings related to:

K-12 schools

Military bases

Higher body counts or younger victims

Assault rifles

Clustered with other shootings

The researchers cautioned readers to interpret mass shooting trends over time with caution, in light of the fact that mass shootings are extreme and rare events.

Small world.  That's my neighbor's research. He's wicked smart.  

https://www.amazon.com/Violence-Project-Stop-Shooting-Epidemic/dp/1419752952/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1657217671&sr=8-1

Edited July 7, 2022 by TexasHooch

[DixonHur 11358]

44 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Recent study profiling mass shootings since 1966.

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings

Full report @: https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/302101.pdf

Persons who committed public mass shootings in the U.S. over the last half century were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time, and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire. Most were insiders of a targeted institution, such as an employee or student. Except for young school shooters who stole the guns from family members, most used legally obtained handguns in those shootings.

Those are prominent traits of persons who have engaged in public mass shootings – that is, a shooting that kills four or more people[1] – collected in a comprehensive new database of identified U.S. mass shootings from 1966 to 2019. The data on 172 mass public shooters cover more than 150 psychosocial history variables, such as those individuals’ mental health history, past trauma, interest in past shootings, and situational triggers.

With support from the National Institute of Justice, The Violence Project database has drawn data exclusively from open sources such as social media sites and online newspapers. The aim is to build a broader understanding on the part of the public, the justice system, and the research community of who mass shooters are and what motivates their decision to discharge firearms at multiple people.

As part of the project, researchers also separately interviewed persons in prison who had engaged in mass shootings, in part to look for shared traits.

...

Other Key Findings and Applicability

Trauma, Suicidality, and Crisis

Suicidality was found to be a strong predictor of perpetration of mass shootings. Of all mass shooters in the The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.

In terms of past trauma, 31% of persons who perpetrated mass shootings were found to have experiences of severe childhood trauma, and over 80% were in crisis.

Trauma was a common element of the backgrounds of those committing mass shooting, both in the database and the qualitative studies. Early intervention through school-based services may be a key component of early prevention.

Addressing Trauma

NIJ’s CrimeSolutions has rated programs as effective or promising for reducing the impact of trauma on youth. See:

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

Bounce Back

Enhancing Resiliency Amongst Student Experiencing Stress (ERASE-Stress) in Israel

Crisis / Mental Illness

In public discourse, mass shootings are often blamed on mental illness. But the research indicates the role of mental illness in mass shootings is complicated, not clear-cut. Mental health issues were common among those who engaged in mass shootings, with psychosis playing a minor role in nearly one third of the cases, but a primary role 10% of the time.

The data indicate, however, that nearly all persons who engage in mass shootings were in state of crisis in the days or weeks preceding the shooting.

Warning Signs — Leakage

Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers. Legacy tokens, such as manifestos, were left behind by 23.4% of those who committed mass shootings. About 70% of individuals who perpetrated mass shooting knew at least some of their victims. In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were “insiders” — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.

The fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings provides an opportunity for intervention. Anonymous reporting systems may increase the likelihood of leakage and is an important area for more research. Threat assessment teams that intervene with a holistic, collaborative approach to intervention are promising.

Firearms

Notably, most individuals who engaged in mass shootings used handguns (77.2%), and 25.1% used assault rifles in the commission of their crimes. Of the known mass shooting cases (32.5% of cases could not be confirmed), 77% of those who engaged in mass shootings purchased at least some of their guns legally, while illegal purchases were made by 13% of those committing mass shootings. In cases involving K-12 school shootings, over 80% of individuals who engaged in shootings stole guns from family members.

The findings support safe storage of guns. Yet, the researchers noted that there are no federal laws requiring safe storage of guns, and no federal standards for firearm locks. The data also support “red flag” laws permitting law enforcement or family members to petition a state court to order temporary removal of a firearm from a person who presents a danger.

Motivation Over Time

Since the 1970s, the only statistically significant change in motivations for mass shootings is the decrease in shootings motivated by employment issues.

Script

The data show that many individuals who engage in mass shootings study past mass shooters — one in five (21.6%) studied other mass shooters, and many are radicalized online. The researchers recommended media literacy education as a means of helping people critically consume information and counter extremist propaganda that facilitates violence.

Mass Shooting Demographics

Of the 172 individuals who engaged in public mass shootings covered in the database, 97.7% were male. Ages ranged from 11 to 70, with a mean age of 34.1. Those  shooting were 52.3% White, 20.9% Black, 8.1% Latino, 6.4% Asian, 4.2% Middle Eastern, and 1.8% Native American.

Most individuals who perpetrated mass shootings had a prior criminal record (64.5%) and a history of violence (62.8%), including domestic violence (27.9%). And 28.5% had a military background. Most died on the scene of the public mass shooting, with 38.4% dying by their own hand and 20.3% killed by law enforcement officers.

Locations of Mass Shootings

Locations of public mass shootings, by percentage of all occurrences in the database, were:

Location Percent

Workplace 30.8

Retail establishment 16.9

Bar or restaurant 13.4

Residential location 8.1

Outdoors 8.1

K-12 school 7.6

Place of worship 6.4

College or university 5.2

Government or place of civic importance 3.5

Interviews

The research team cautioned that the qualitative data, from five interviews, did not lend themselves to generalization, because each individual’s story is unique. There was no single profile of a person who engaged in a mass shooting, but the interviewed mass shooters shared the following traits:

Early childhood trauma and exposure to violence.

An identifiable grievance or crisis point.

Validation of beliefs — finding inspiration in past shootings by others.

The means to carry out an attack.

Other Limitations

The database used open source data, leaving room for bias, the researchers noted, because the source data were originally gathered for different purposes. Media outlets have their own biases, in terms of coverage of different mass shootings. Generally, the report noted, certain categories of mass shootings tended to attract the most coverage. They include bias in favor of coverage of mass shootings related to:

K-12 schools

Military bases

Higher body counts or younger victims

Assault rifles

Clustered with other shootings

The researchers cautioned readers to interpret mass shooting trends over time with caution, in light of the fact that mass shootings are extreme and rare events.

I found this to be pretty interesting.  

Quote

The death count per shooting is also rising dramatically. Sixteen of the 20 most deadly mass shootings in modern history occurred in the last 20 years, eight of them in the last five years.

For decades, the toll of mass shootings has risen steadily. During the 1970s, mass shootings claimed an average of 8 lives per year. In the 1980s, the average rose to 15. In the 1990s it was 21 and 2000s it reached 24. This decade has seen a far sharper rise. Today, the average is 51 deaths per year. 

It might have something to do with this...according to the data behind the study (it's free if you ask):

1. Between 1966 - 1989 there were 38 mass shootings (241 dead), 7 of these shootings (16 %) were committed with an assault style rifle (mostly AK-47's)
2. Between 1990 - 2009 there were 75 mass shootings (450 dead), 12 (18%) via assault rifle (a few more with UZI's but I didn't count those) - NOTE Assault Weapons Ban was from 1994 - 2004
3. From 2010 to present there have been 66 mass shootings (602 dead).  25 of these shootings (38%) were committed using an assault rifle.  17 of which were AR-15's

Anyone who doesn't see the proliferation of assault rifles being a problem is either stupid, or just doesn't give a fuck.

[Biff Tannen 45710]

2 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

Anyone who doesn't see the proliferation of assault rifles being a problem is either stupid, or just doesn't give a fuck.

You have hit upon the answer.

[Bozo_Casanova 26522]

18 minutes ago, royiv said:

Oh, great. More bullet talk.

No, this is about how the AR15 is uniquely a problem because of the place it holds in gun culture, that the arguments for wide ownership are dumb on their own merits, and that gun owners need to come to grips with why mass shooters choose it. Try to keep up.

Progressives making it a point of pride to refuse to try to understand the dynamics that make this issue intractable (you know, the same way they refuse to try to understand the prolife movement and tax rates and land use and housing prices and the cultural decline of working class people and every other fucking issue they refuse to engage with) are contributing to the problem. You would think after 30 years of getting their asses handed to them in Texas and nationally over the last 6 despite holding all the cards their ears would perk up, but maybe not. 

Gun control: the agreed upon, universal, bipartisan red herring to distract us from a society that DOES NOT GIVE A FUCK.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Bozo_Casanova

[royiv 9339]

7 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I bowed out immediately.
 

Let’s get back on track.  Guns are terrible!1!!  Republicans are Nazis!!1!  

[fattyflattie 4638]

7 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

I found this to be pretty interesting.  

It might have something to do with this...according to the data behind the study (it's free if you ask):

1. Between 1966 - 1989 there were 38 mass shootings (241 dead), 7 of these shootings (16 %) were committed with an assault style rifle (mostly AK-47's)
2. Between 1990 - 2009 there were 75 mass shootings (450 dead), 12 (18%) via assault rifle (a few more with UZI's but I didn't count those) - NOTE Assault Weapons Ban was from 1994 - 2004
3. From 2010 to present there have been 66 mass shootings (602 dead).  25 of these shootings (38%) were committed using an assault rifle.  17 of which were AR-15's

Anyone who doesn't see the proliferation of assault rifles being a problem is either stupid, or just doesn't give a fuck.

Why would you not count an uzi?  Is high capacity magazines not a factor?