Edit filter log

'{{globalize|date=March 2019}} {{Homicide}}{{Terrorism}} A '''mass shooting''' is an incident involving multiple victims of firearms-related violence. There is no widely accepted definition of the term "mass shooting".<ref name=mother> {{cite web |last1= Follman|first1= Mark |title= What Exactly Is A Mass Shooting |url= https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/08/what-is-a-mass-shooting |publisher= Mother Jones|accessdate= August 9, 2015 | quote = What is a mass shooting? <br> Broadly speaking, the term refers to an incident involving multiple victims of gun violence. But there is no official set of criteria or definition for a mass shooting, according to criminology experts and FBI officials contacted by Mother Jones. }} </ref> The [[United States of America | United States]]' [[Congressional Research Service]] acknowledges that there is not a broadly accepted definition, and defines a "public mass shooting"<ref name="CRS">{{cite news|first= Jerome P.|last= Bjelopera|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43004.pdf |title= Public Mass Shootings in the United States: Selected Implications for Federal Public Health and Safety Policy|publisher= CRS Report for Congress|agency= Congressional Research Service|date= March 18, 2013|accessdate=December 8, 2015}} "There is no broadly agreed-to, specific conceptualization of this issue, so this report uses its own definition for public mass shootings."</ref> as an event where someone selects four or more people indiscriminately, and kills them, echoing the FBI's definition of the term "[[mass murder]]".<ref> {{cite web |last= Morton|first= Robert J. |url= https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder/serial-murder-1 |title= Serial Murder|publisher= FBI Updates, Reports and Publications |accessdate= December 8, 2015 | quote = Generally, mass murder was described as a number of murders (four or more) occurring during the same incident, with no distinctive time period between the murders. }} </ref> <!-- As noted above, there is no widely accepted definition of mass shootings. --> Individuals or organizations may commit a mass shooting in public or in non-public places. [[Terrorist groups]] in recent times{{when?|date=April 2019}} have used the tactic of mass shootings to further their political aims.{{cn|date=April 2019}} Individuals who commit mass shootings may fall into any of a number of categories, including [[Familicide|killers of family]], of [[Workplace violence|coworkers]], of [[School shooting|students]], and of random strangers. Individuals' motives for shooting vary. Responses to mass shootings take a variety of forms, depending on the context: number of casualties, the country, political climate, and other factors. Some [[News media| media]] cover mass shootings extensively and often sensationally, and the effect of that coverage has been examined{{by whom?|date=April 2019}}. Countries such as the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Australia]] have changed their [[gun laws]] in the wake of mass shootings. In contrast, the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution]], as interpreted, prohibits laws which disallow firearm ownership outright<ref>See also: {{cite web|url= https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/americas/us-gun-statistics/index.html|title= America's gun culture vs. the world in 5 charts|first= Kara Fox, CNN Graphics by Henrik Pettersson|last= CNN|publisher= |accessdate= 15 February 2018 | quote = America's unique relationship to gun ownership -- enshrined as a right in its constitution -- is also in the middle of an emotional and divisive debate about the meaning of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Twenty-seven words that give its citizens the right to own guns and also, in the views of many critics, helped usher in a culture that sees more of its own people killed by fellow citizens armed with guns than in any other high-income nation in the world.}} </ref> and United States residents own 42 percent of the world's guns.<ref> {{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/world/americas/mass-shootings-us-international.html|title= What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? International Comparisons Suggest an Answer|first1= Max|last1= Fisher|first2= Josh|last2= Keller|date= 7 November 2017|publisher= |accessdate= 4 April 2019|newspaper= The New York Times | quote = Americans make up about 4.4 percent of the global population but own 42 percent of the world’s guns.}} </ref><ref> {{cite news | last1 = McPhillips | first1 = Deidre | title = U.S. a World Outlier in Firearms: Violence tied to guns is taking a physical, emotional and economic toll on Americans | url = https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-06-15/us-is-global-leader-in-gun-violence-and-ownership | work = U.S. News & World Report | publisher = U.S. News & World Report L.P. | publication-date = 15 Jun 2017 | access-date = 4 Apr 2019 | quote = }} </ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2019}} {{TOC limit|3}} ==Definitions== {{See also|Massacre|School shooting|Spree shooting|Mass murder}} The characterization of an event as a mass shooting depends upon definition and definitions vary.<ref name="Dallas2015">{{cite web|first=Jeffrey|last=Weiss|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20151205-mass-shootings-in-the-u.s.-this-year-353--or-4-depending-on-your-definition.ece|title=Mass shootings in the U.S. this year? 353 — or 4, depending on your definition|work=Dallas Morning News|date=December 6, 2015|accessdate=December 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYTDec_2015">{{cite news|first=Mark|last=Follman|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/opinion/how-many-mass-shootings-are-there-really.html?_r=1|title=How Many Mass Shootings Are There, Really?|work=New York Times|date=December 3, 2015|accessdate=December 6, 2015}}</ref> Under U.S. federal law the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] may on a request from a state assist in investigating "mass killings", rather than mass shootings. The term was originally defined as the murder of four or more people with no cooling-off period<ref name=mother /><ref name="NYTDec_2015" /> but redefined by Congress in 2013 as being murder of three or more people.<ref>{{cite web|work=United States Congress|url=https://www.congress.gov/112/plaws/publ265/PLAW-112publ265.pdf|title=PUBLIC LAW 112–265|date=January 14, 2013|accessdate=December 6, 2015}}</ref> In "Behind the Bloodshed", a report by ''[[USA Today]]'', a mass killing is defined as any incident in which four or more were killed and also includes family killings.<ref name=usatoday>{{cite web|title=Behind the Bloodshed|url=http://www.gannett-cdn.com/GDContent/mass-killings/index.html#frequency|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref> A crowdsourced data site cited by CNN, [[MSNBC]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Washington Post]]'', ''[[The Economist]]'', the [[BBC]], etc., [[Mass Shooting Tracker]], defines a mass shooting as any incident in which four or more people are shot, whether injured or killed.<ref name="shooting tracker">{{cite web |url=https://www.massshootingtracker.org/about |title=About the Mass Shooting Tracker|website=Mass Shooting Tracker |date= |accessdate= 13 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_BBC_13_June_2016c">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36519450 |title=Orlando club shootings: Full fury of gun battle emerges |website=- BBC News |date=13 June 2016 |accessdate= 13 June 2016}} Cites Mass Shooting Tracker</ref> A noteworthy connection has been reported in the U.S. between mass shootings and domestic or family violence, with a current or former intimate partner or family member killed in 76 of 133 cases (57%), and a perpetrator having previously been charged with domestic violence in 21.<ref name="alter2">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/17/domestic-violence-gun_n_5595898.html |title=Mass Shooting Analysis Finds Strong Domestic Violence Connection |newspaper=The Huffington Post |date= 18 July 2014 |author= Melissa Jeltsen|accessdate= 13 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=bloombergstudy>{{cite web |url=http://everytownresearch.org/reports/mass-shootings-analysis/ |title=Analysis of Mass Shootings |newspaper=Everytownresearch.org |date=20 August 2015 |accessdate= 13 June 2016}} This analysis has later figures than reported in the article</ref> The lack of a single definition can lead to [[alarmism]] in the news media, with some reports conflating categories of crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/12/no-there-were-not-355-mass-shootings-this-year|title=No, There Has Not Been a Mass Shooting Every Day This Year|author=Mark Follman|date=December 18, 2015|work=Mother Jones}}</ref> However, according to the [[Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012]], signed into law in January 2013, a mass killing is defined as a killing with at least three deaths, excluding the perpetrator.<ref>{{cite web|title=H.R. 2076 (112th): Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr2076/text|website=[[govtrack.us]]|publisher=[[United States Congress]]|accessdate=20 February 2018|quote="''(I)the term mass killings means 3 or more killings in a single incident; ''"}}</ref><ref name="politifact2018">{{cite web|last1=Greenberg, Jacobson & Valverde|first1=Jon, Louis & Mariam|title=What we know about mass shootings|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2018/feb/14/what-we-know-about-mass-shootings/|website=[[Politifact]]|publisher=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|accessdate=20 February 2018|date=February 14, 2018|quote="'' In January 2013, a mandate for federal investigation of mass shootings authorized by President Barack Obama lowered that baseline to three or more victims killed. ''"}}</ref> Another unofficial definition of a mass shooting is an event involving the shooting (not necessarily resulting in death) of five or more people (sometimes four)<ref name="one mass shooting per day" /> with no cooling-off period.<ref name="shooting tracker" /><ref name="one mass shooting per day">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-u-s-averages-nearly-one-mass-shooting-per-day-so-far-in-2017/|title=Report: U.S. averages nearly one mass shooting per day so far in 2017|publisher=|accessdate=15 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/oct/02/america-mass-shootings-gun-violence|title=1,516 mass shootings in 1,735 days: America's gun crisis – in one chart|first1=Guardian US interactive|last1=team|first2=Sam|last2=Morris|first3=Guardian US interactive|last3=team|first4=Sam|last4=Morris|publisher=|accessdate=15 February 2018|via=www.theguardian.com|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In Australia, a 2006 paper defined a mass shooting as "one in which ⩾5 firearm‐related homicides are committed by one or two perpetrators in proximate events in a civilian setting, not counting any perpetrators".<ref name=PMC>{{Cite journal|last1=Chapman|first1=S.|title=Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings|pmc=2704353|pmid=17170183|doi=10.1136/ip.2006.013714|volume=12|issue=6|date=December 2006|pages=365–72|journal=Injury Prevention}}</ref> Crime violence research group [[Gun Violence Archive]], whose research is used by all major American media outlets defines Mass Shooting as "FOUR or more shot and/or killed in a single event [incident], at the same general time and location not including the shooter" differentiating between Mass Shooting and Mass Murder [Killing] and not counting shooters as victims.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/methodology|title=General Methodology – Gun Violence Archive|website=www.gunviolencearchive.org}}</ref> An act is typically defined as terrorist if it "appears to have been intended" to intimidate or to coerce people;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/03/when-should-a-shooting-really-be-called-terrorism/ |title=When should a shooting really be called 'terrorism'? |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=3 December 2015|author=Ana Swanson|accessdate= 27 June 2016}}</ref> a mass shooting is not, in itself, an act of terrorism. A U.S. [[Congressional Research Service]] report explicitly excluded from its definition of public mass shootings those in which the violence is a means to an end, for example where the gunmen "pursue criminal profit or kill in the name of terrorist ideologies".<ref name="CRS"/> ==By continent and region== ===Africa=== Mass shootings have occurred on the African continent, including the 2016 Grand Bassam attack in C’ôte d’Ivoire, [[2015 Sousse attacks]], the [[2015 Bamako hotel attack]], the 2013 [[Westgate shopping mall attack]] in [[Nairobi, Kenya]], and the 1994 [[Kampala wedding massacre]]. Most mass shootings in Africa have stemmed from [[terrorism]], with tourists and diplomats frequently being the targets. Workplace violence and prejudice against ethnic minorities have less-frequently been involved in such spontaneous acts of mass violence. ===Asia=== Several mass shootings have occurred in Asia, including the 1878 [[Hyderabad shooting]], the 1938 [[Tsuyama massacre]], the 1948 [[Babrra massacre]], the 1983 [[Pashupatinath Temple shooting]], the 1993 [[Chongqing shooting]], and the 1994 [[Tian Mingjian incident]]. ====India==== One of the earliest documented cases of a mass shooting in world history was the 1878 [[Hyderabad shooting]], in which 6 were killed and a further 4 were injured by a [[sepoy]] in the [[British Indian Army]] in [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]], [[Sindh]], [[British Raj]]. The single deadliest event was the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] in which 164 people were killed and a further 308 people were wounded by terrorists. ====South Korea==== South Korea has suffered multiple mass shootings in the [[South Korean Army]], mainly due to soldier's stress and conflicts from its violence and detention from society. ====Japan==== Japan has as few as two gun-related homicides per year. These numbers include all homicides in the country, not just mass shootings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/|title=A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths|work=The Atlantic|date=July 23, 2012|accessdate=December 16, 2015|first=Max|last=Fisher}}</ref> (note that this is not including the Yakuza){{Citation needed|date=November 2018}} ====Israel==== There have been [[:Category:Mass shootings in Israel|many mass shootings]] in Israel such as the 1972 [[Lod Airport massacre|Lod Airport Massacre]], which killed 26 and injured 80, the 2002 [[Bat Mitzvah massacre]] and the [[June 2016 Tel Aviv shooting|June 2016,]] massacre at the popular Sarona center complex. There have been two mass shootings by Jews in Israel. In 1991, [[Ami Popper]] was convicted of murdering seven Palestinian men in a mass shooting carried out in 1990. In 1994 [[Baruch Goldstein]] murdered 29 Muslims worshipping and injuring a further 125 in Hebron. Also known as the [[Cave of the Patriarchs massacre]]. ====Egypt==== Other shootings include the 2013 [[Meet al-Attar shooting]] in [[Egypt]]. ===Europe=== Several mass shootings have occurred in Europe, including the 1987 [[Hungerford massacre]], the 1990 [[Puerto Hurraco massacre]], the 1993 [[Greysteel massacre]], the 1996 [[Dunblane massacre]], the 2001 [[Zug massacre]], the 2002 [[Erfurt massacre]], the 2007 [[Jokela school shooting]], the 2008 [[Kauhajoki school shooting]], the 2009 [[Winnenden school shooting]], the 2010 [[Cumbria shootings]], the [[2011 Norway attacks]], the 2012 [[Toulouse and Montauban shootings]], the January 2015 [[Charlie Hebdo shooting]] in Paris (and related attacks) and the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]]. ====Russia==== {{main|List of mass shootings in Russia and Soviet Union}} Notable mass shootings include the [[1992 Tatarstan shooting]], the 2002 [[Yaroslavsky shooting]], the 2002 [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]], the 2004 [[Beslan school siege]], the [[2012 Moscow shooting]], the [[2013 Belgorod shooting]], and the [[2014 Moscow school shooting]]. ===North America=== ====Canada==== Notable mass shootings in [[Canada]] include the 1989 [[École Polytechnique massacre]], the 1992 [[Concordia University massacre]], the 2006 [[Dawson College]] shooting, the 2012 [[Danzig Street shooting]], the [[2014 Edmonton killings]], the [[2017 Quebec City mosque shooting]], and the 2018 [[Danforth shooting]]. ====Mexico==== Notable mass shootings in [[Mexico]] include the [[2010 Chihuahua shootings]]. ====United States==== {{main|Mass shootings in the United States}} [[File:Total deaths in US mass shootings.png|thumb|250px|Total U.S. deaths by year in spree shootings: 1982 to current (ongoing).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data|title=US Mass Shootings, 1982–2018: Data From Mother Jones' Investigation|publisher=}}</ref>]] In one study by criminologist Adam Lankford, it was estimated that 31% of public mass shootings occur in the US, although it has only 5% of the world's population.<ref>[http://time.com/4007909/gun-violence-mass-shootings/ Why the U.S. Has 31% of the World's Mass Shootings.] ''TIME.'' Retrieved: October 2, 2017.</ref> The study concludes that "The United States and other nations with high firearm ownership rates may be particularly susceptible to future public mass shootings, even if they are relatively peaceful or mentally healthy according to other national indicators."<ref name="Lankford2016">{{cite journal|last1=Lankford|first1=Adam|title=Public Mass Shooters and Firearms: A Cross-National Study of 171 Countries|journal=Violence and Victims|volume=31|issue=2|year=2016|pages=187–199|issn=0886-6708|doi=10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-15-00093|pmid=26822013}} {{Subscription needed}}</ref> Criminologist [[Gary Kleck]] criticized Adam's findings stating the study fails to provide evidence that gun ownership increases mass shootings and that Lankford has been unwilling to share a list of his cases, provide a list of the number of attacks per country, or even list his sources so that others can check his numbers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/28/critics-shoot-holes-in-widely-cited-gun-study.html|title=Critics shoot holes in widely cited gun study|first=Maxim|last=Lott|date=28 July 2016|publisher=}}</ref> A later study by economist John Lott also raised objections to Lankford's methodology and refusal to share his data. The study found that Lankford had overlooked a significant number of mass shootings outside the US and estimated that when these shootings are accounted for the nations share of mass shootings was closer to 2.88%, below the world average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/29/john-lott-jr-adam-lankford-botched-study-claiming-/|title=Shock study: U.S. had far fewer mass shootings than previously reported|first=Stephen|last=Dinan|date=16 December 2018|publisher=washingtontimes}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=How a Botched Study Fooled the World About the U.S. Share of Mass Public Shootings: U.S. Rate is Lower than Global Average|first=John|last=Lott|date=16 December 2018|publisher=Social Science Research Network|ssrn = 3238736}}</ref> Another study found that when adjusting for different population sizes, analysing data between 2009 and 2015 (therefore excluding shootings like the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting), the US falls to 12th in a comparison between the US and Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://crimeresearch.org/2015/06/comparing-death-rates-from-mass-public-shootings-in-the-us-and-europe |title= UPDATED: Comparing Death Rates from Mass Public Shootings and Mass Public Violence in the US and Europe |agency= Crime Prevention Research Center |first=John |last=Lott |date= January 7, 2016}}</ref> Mass shootings have also been observed to be followed by an increase in the purchase of weapons, but this phenomenon seems to be driven by a minority since neither gun owners nor non-owners report an increased feeling of needing guns.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Wolfgang|last1=Stroebe|first2=N. Pontus|last2=Leander|first3=Arie W.|last3=Kruglanski|title=The impact of the Orlando mass shooting on fear of victimization and gun-purchasing intentions: Not what one might expect|journal=PLOS ONE|date=2017-08-11|issn=1932-6203|pages=e0182408|volume=12|issue=8|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0182408|pmid=28800365|pmc=5553639|bibcode=2017PLoSO..1282408S}}</ref> ===South America=== ====Argentina==== Notable mass shootings in [[Argentina]] include the 2004 [[Carmen de Patagones school shooting]]. ====Brazil==== Notable mass shootings in [[Brazil]] include the 2011 [[Realengo massacre]] and the [[Suzano school shooting]]. ===Oceania=== ====Australia==== Notable mass shootings in Australia include the [[Hoddle Street massacre|1987 Hoddle Street massacre]] and the [[Port Arthur massacre (Australia)|1996 Port Arthur Massacre]]. There were 13 mass shootings with five or more deaths between 1979 and 1996, and none thereafter, following [[Gun buyback program#Australia|stricter gun control laws]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/15/australia-hasnt-had-fatal-mass-shooting-since-1996-heres-what-did/340345002/|title=Australia hasn't had a fatal mass shooting since 1996. Here's what it did|website=usatoday.com|accessdate=30 August 2018}}</ref> ====New Zealand==== Notable mass shootings in New Zealand include the 1990 [[Aramoana massacre]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10831910|title=NZ memories: Thirteen killed in Aramoana massacre|publisher=New Zealand Herald|date=13 September 2012|accessdate=17 March 2019}}</ref> in which 14 people were killed (including the perpetrator) and the 2019 [[Christchurch mosque shootings]], which resulted in 51 deaths<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/112429722/turkish-man-wounded-in-christchurch-attacks-dies|title=Turkish man wounded in Christchurch mosque shootings has died, bringing toll to 51|access-date=2019-05-03}}</ref> and is the largest mass shooting in New Zealand history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/asia/christchurch-mosque-shooting-intl/index.html|title=Parts of New Zealand city of Christchurch in lockdown as police respond to reported mass shooting at mosque|last=Regan|first=Helen|website=CNN|access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> ==Victims and survivors== After mass shootings, some survivors have written about their experiences and their experiences have been covered by journalists. A survivor of the [[Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church shooting]] wrote about his reaction to other mass shooting incidents.<ref name="follman">{{cite web|last1=Follman|first1=Mark|title='I Was a Survivor': Recalling a Mass Shooting 4 Years Ago Today|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shooting-survivor|publisher=Mother Jones|date=July 27, 2012|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> The father of a victim in [[2012 Aurora shooting|a mass shooting at a movie theater]] in [[Aurora, Colorado]], wrote about witnessing other mass shootings after the loss of his son.<ref name="teves">{{cite web|last1=Teves|first1=Tom|title='Something is very wrong in our society': Father of mass-shooting victim calls for an end to the carnage|url=http://www.salon.com/2015/07/31/something_is_very_wrong_in_our_society_father_of_mass_shooting_victim_calls_for_an_end_to_the_carnage/|publisher=Salon|date=July 31, 2015|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The survivors of the [[2011 Norway attacks]] recounted their experience to [[GQ]].<ref name="GQ">{{cite web|last1=Flynn|first1=Sean|title=Is he coming? Is he? Oh God, I think he is.|url=https://www.gq.com/story/anders-behring-breivik-norway-massacre-story|publisher=GQ|date=July 30, 2012|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> In addition, one paper studied Swedish police officers' reactions to a mass shooting.<ref name="swedish">{{cite web|last1=Karlsson|first1=Ingemar|title=Memories of traumatic events among swedish police officers|url=http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf;jsessionid=SxWvYmBrGmFpIcCJOzwWXs2bbol3ac-q2FGCR-F4.diva2-search7-vm?http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf;jsessionid=SxWvYmBrGmFpIcCJOzwWXs2bbol3ac-q2FGCR-F4.diva2-search7-vm&pid=diva2%3A194618&dswid=dtR86wHT|publisher=Stockholm University|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> Survivors of mass shootings can suffer from [[posttraumatic stress disorder]].<ref name="liberty">{{cite web|last1=Simmons|first1=Laura|title=Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Mass Shooting Survivors|url=http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-in-mass-shooting-survivors/|publisher=Liberty Voice|date=June 29, 2014|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name="ptsd">{{cite web|title=Impact of Mass Shootings on Individual Adjustment|url=http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/newsletters/research-quarterly/V25N3.pdf|website=ptsd.va.gov|publisher=National Center for PTSD|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> ==Perpetrators== {{See also|List of rampage killers}} {{create list|date=March 2019}} Notable mass shooters from outside the United States include [[Anders Behring Breivik]] (Norway, 2011), [[Erfurt school massacre|Robert Steinhauser]] and [[Winnenden school shooting|Tim Kretschmer]] (Germany, 2002 and 2009), [[William Unek]] (Africa, 1954 and 1957), [[Marc Lépine]] and [[Valery Fabrikant]], (Canada, 1989 and 1992), [[Jokela school shooting|Pekka-Eric Auvinen]] and [[Kauhajoki school shooting|Matti Juhani Saari]] (Finland, 2007 and 2008), [[Genildo Ferreira de França]] (Brazil, 1997), [[Friedrich Leibacher]] (Switzerland, 2001), [[Ľubomír Harman]] (Slovakia, 2010), [[Alphen aan den Rijn shopping mall shooting|Tristan van der Vlis]] (Netherlands, 2011), [[Kampala wedding massacre|Richard Komakech]] (Uganda, 1994), [[Meet al-Attar shooting|Omar Abdul Razeq Abdullah Rifai]] (Egypt, 2013), [[Azerbaijan State Oil Academy shooting|Farda Gadirov]] (Azerbaijan, 2009), [[Martin Bryant]] (Australia, 1996), [[Hungerford massacre|Michael Robert Ryan]] and [[Cumbria shootings|Derrick Bird]] (England, 1987 and 2010), [[Thomas Watt Hamilton|Thomas Hamilton]] (Scotland, 1996), [[Velika Ivanča shooting|Ljubiša Bogdanović]] (Serbia, 2013), [[Woo Bum-kon]] (South Korea, 1982), [[Toulouse and Montauban shootings|Mohammed Merah]] (France, 2012), [[2016 Munich shooting|David Ali Sonboly]] (Germany, 2016), [[Kerch Polytechnic College massacre|Vladislav Roslyakov]] (Crimea, 2018), [[Suzano massacre|Guilherme Monteiro and Luiz Henrique de Castro]] (Brazil, 2019) and [[Christchurch mosque shootings|Brenton Tarrant]] (New Zealand, 2019). Notable perpetrators of mass shootings in the U.S. include [[Edward Charles Allaway]], [[James Edward Pough]], [[Carl Robert Brown]], [[Omar Mateen]], [[Robert A. Hawkins]], [[James Oliver Huberty]], [[Nathan Dunlap]], [[George Hennard]], [[Dylann Roof]], [[Adam Lanza]], [[Nidal Malik Hasan]], [[Charles Whitman]], [[Jeff Weise]], [[Gang Lu]], [[Patrick Sherrill]], [[Eric Houston]], [[Barry Loukaitis]], [[Laurie Dann]], [[Christopher Harper-Mercer]], [[101 California Street shooting|Gian Luigi Ferri]], [[Mark Essex]], [[Scott Evans Dekraai]], [[Steven Kazmierczak]], [[Jennifer San Marco]], [[James Holmes (mass murderer)|James Eagan Holmes]], [[Olean High School shooting|Anthony F. Barbaro,]] [[Michael McLendon]], [[2011 Grand Rapids mass murder|Rodrick Shonte Dantzler]], [[Jared Lee Loughner]], [[Seung-Hui Cho]], [[Elliot Rodger]], [[Charles Carl Roberts IV]], [[Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik]], [[Robert Lewis Dear]], [[Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden]], [[Washington Navy Yard shooting|Aaron Alexis]], [[Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting#Perpetrator|Wade Michael Page]], [[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold]], [[Patrick Edward Purdy]], [[Gavin Eugene Long]], [[Micah Xavier Johnson]], [[Kyle Aaron Huff]], [[One L. Goh]], [[Randy Stair]], [[Stephen Paddock]], [[Devin Patrick Kelley]], [[Nikolas Cruz]], [[Santa Fe High School shooting|Dimitrios Pagourtzis]], [[Jacksonville Landing shooting|David Katz]], [[Pittsburgh synagogue shooting|Robert Bowers]], [[Thousand Oaks shooting|Ian Long]], [[2019 Sebring, Florida, shooting|Zephen Xaver]], [[January 2019 Louisiana shootings|Dakota Theriot]], [[Aurora,_Illinois_shooting|Gary Martin]], [[Poway_synagogue_shooting|John Earnest]], [[2019_UNCC_shooting|Trystan Terrell]], [[STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting|Devon Erickson and Alec Maya McKinney]]. U.S. mass shooters are overwhelmingly males.<ref name=frum>{{cite web|last1=Frum|first1=David|title=Mass Shootings Are Preventable|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/mass-shootings-are-preventable/396644/|publisher=The Atlantic|date=June 23, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name=time>{{cite news|last1=Kluger|first1=Jeffrey|title=Why Mass Killers Are Always Male|url=http://time.com/114128/elliott-rodgers-ucsb-santa-barbara-shooter/|publisher=Time|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name="DFord">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/27/us/mass-shootings/|title=Who commits mass shootings?|work=CNN|date=July 24, 2015|first=Dana|last=Ford}}</ref> According to a database compiled by [[Mother Jones (magazine)|''Mother Jones'' magazine]], the race of the shooters is approximately proportionate to the overall U.S. population, although Asians are overrepresented and Latinos underrepresented.<ref name=DFord/> Criminologist James Allen Fox said that most mass murderers do not have a criminal record, or involuntary incarceration at a mental health center,<ref>{{cite web|last=Peters |first=Justin |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/12/19/mass_shootings_in_america_northeastern_criminologists_james_alan_fox_monica.html |title=Mass shootings in America: Northeastern criminologists James Alan Fox, Monica J. DeLateur in Homicide Studies refute common myths about mass murder |website=Slate.com |date=2013-12-19 |accessdate=2016-07-08}}</ref> but an article in the New York Times in December 2015 about 15 recent mass shootings found that six perpetrators had had run-ins with law enforcement, and six had mental health issues.<ref name=larry>{{cite news|last1=Buchanan|first1=Larry|title=How They Got Their Guns|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/03/us/how-mass-shooters-got-their-guns.html?_r=0|publisher=New York Times|date=December 3, 2015|accessdate=June 12, 2016}}</ref> ==Motives== Mass shootings can be motivated by political ideologies, [[misanthropy]]<ref>De Freitas, Julian, and Mina Cikara. "Deep down my enemy is good: Thinking about the true self reduces intergroup bias." (2017)</ref> and [[terrorism]] and caused by [[mental illness]], <ref>{{cite web|url=http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/other-hand/2018/02/high-school-students-demand-action-gun-control-following-parkland|title=High school students demand action on gun control following Parkland shooting – rabble.ca|website=rabble.ca|accessdate=2 July 2018}}</ref><ref>Van Brunt, Brian, and W. Scott Lewis. "Costuming, misogyny, and objectification as risk factors in targeted violence." Violence and gender 1.1 (2014): 25–35.</ref> and extensive bullying<ref>Rocque, Michael. "Exploring school rampage shootings: Research, theory, and policy." The Social Science Journal 49.3 (2012): 304–313.</ref> among other reasons.<ref name=frum/> Forensic psychologist [[Stephen Ross (psychologist)|Stephen Ross]] says that extreme anger and the thought shooters are working for a cause, rather than mental illness, is most often the explanation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Campbell|first1=Holly|title=Inside the mind of a mass murderer|url=http://wane.com/2015/12/02/inside-the-mind-of-a-mass-murderer/|publisher=WANE.com|date=December 2, 2015|accessdate=December 10, 2015}}</ref> A study by [[Vanderbilt University]] researchers found that "fewer than 5% of the 120,000 gun-related killings in the United States between 2001 and 2010 were perpetrated by people diagnosed with mental illness".<ref name=wolf>{{cite web|last1=Wolf|first1=Amy|title=Mental Illness is the wrong scapegoat after mass shootings|url=http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2014/12/mental-illness-wrong-scapegoat-shootings/|publisher=Vanderbilt University|date=December 11, 2014|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> [[John Roman]] of the [[Urban Institute]] argues that, while better access to mental health care, restricting high powered weapons, and creating a defensive infrastructure to combat terrorism are constructive, they don't address the greater issue, which is "we have a lot of really angry young men in our country and in the world."<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-roman-phd/angry-young-men-and-mass_b_10503106.html Angry young Men and Mass Killings]. ''The Huffington Post.'' June 16, 2016.</ref> Author [[Dave Cullen]] described killer Eric Harris as an "injustice collector" in his 2009 book ''[[Columbine (book)|Columbine]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title = Finally understand why. Dave Cullen's Edgar-winning Columbine book: the Columbine killers, shooting & myths|url = http://davecullen.com/columbine.htm|website = davecullen.com|accessdate = September 27, 2015}}</ref> He expanded on the concept in a 2015 ''[[The New Republic|New Republic]]'' essay on injustice collectors,<ref>{{cite journal|title = Inside the Warped Mind of Vester Flanagan and Other Shooters|url = https://newrepublic.com/article/122669/injustice-collectors-how-understand-vester-flanagans-manifesto|journal = The New Republic|date = August 31, 2015|accessdate = September 27, 2015|first = Dave|last = Cullen}}</ref> identifying several notorious killers as fitting the category, including [[Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt|Christopher Dorner]], [[2014 Isla Vista killings|Elliot Rodger]], [[Murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward|Vester Flanagan]], and [[Andrew Kehoe]]. Likewise, mass shooting expert and former FBI profiler Mary O'Toole also uses the phrase "injustice collector" in characterizing motives of some mass shooting perpetrators.<ref name=newsweek>{{cite web|last1=Bekiempis|first1=Victoria|title=Meet Mass-Shooting Expert Mary Ellen O'Toole|url=http://www.newsweek.com/serial-killer-mass-shooter-school-shootings-federal-bureau-investigation-367374|date=September 4, 2015|publisher=Newsweek|accessdate=September 6, 2015}}</ref> In relation, criminologist [[James Alan Fox]] contends that mass murderers are "enabled by social isolation" and typically experience "years of disappointment and failure that produce a mix of profound hopelessness and deep-seated resentment."<ref>{{cite web |first=James Alan |last=Fox |date=January 16, 2011 |url= http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/crime_punishment/2011/01/the_real_causes_of_mass_murder.html |title= The real causes of mass murder |work= Boston.com |accessdate= November 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/12/03/james-alan-fox-san-bernardino-focus-murderous-partnership/76725342/|title=James Alan Fox: In San Bernardino, focus on the murderous partnership|work=USA Today|date=December 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Jillian Peterson]], an assistant professor of criminology at [[Hamline University]] who is participating in the construction of a database on mass shooters, noted that two phenomena surface repeatedly in the statistics: hopelessness and a need for notoriety in life or in death.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wanamaker |first=John |date=October 8, 2017|title='This shooter is a little different': Hamline professor studies mass shootings|url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/10/08/this-shooter-is-a-little-different-hamline-professor-studies-mass-shootings|work= [[Minnesota Public Radio|MPR]] News |location= |access-date=October 9, 2017 }}</ref> Notoriety was first suggested as a possible motive and researched by [[Justin Nutt]]. Nutt stated in a 2013 article, "those who feel nameless and as though no one will care or remember them when they are gone may feel doing something such as a school shooting will make sure they are remembered and listed in the history books."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/2013/12/14/school-shootings-possible-causes/|title=School Shootings and Possible Causes|date=14 December 2013|publisher=|accessdate=15 February 2018}}</ref> In considering the frequency of mass shootings in the United States, criminologist Peter Squires says that the individualistic culture in the United States puts the country at greater risk for mass shootings than other countries, noting that "many other countries where gun ownership is high, such as Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Israel . . . tend to have more tight-knit societies where a strong social bond supports people through crises, and mass killings are fewer." He is an advocate of gun control, but contends there is more to mass shootings than the prevalence of guns.<ref name=europe>{{cite web|last1=Dorell|first1=Oren|title=In Europe, fewer mass killings due to culture not guns|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/12/17/guns-mass-killings-worldwide/1776191/|publisher=USA Today|date=December 18, 2012|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> The Italian Marxist academic [[Franco Berardi]] argues that the hyper-individualism, social alienation and competitiveness fomented by [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] ideology and [[capitalism]] creates mass shooters by causing people to "malfunction."<ref>{{cite news |last= McIntyre|first=Niamh|date=April 16, 2015 |title=This Theorist Believes That Capitalism Creates Mass Murderers by Causing People to 'Malfunction'|url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wd7eyw/berardi-interview|work=Vice |location= |access-date=March 11, 2019 }}</ref> ==Social science and family structure== Harvard sociologist [[Robert J. Sampson]] writes: "Family structure is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, predictor of variations in urban violence across cities in the United States. The close empirical connection between family breakdown and crime suggests that increased spending on crime-fighting, imprisonment, and criminal justice in the United States over the last 40 years is largely the direct or indirect consequence of marital breakdown."<ref name="mercatornet.com">https://www.mercatornet.com/features/articles/21046/</ref> His views are echoed by the eminent criminologists [[Michael Gottfredson]] and [[Travis Hirschi]], who have written that "such family measures as the percentage of the population divorced, the percentage of households headed by women, and the percentage of unattached individuals in the community are among the most powerful predictors of crime rates."<ref name="aei.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.aei.org/publication/sons-of-divorce-school-shooters/|title=Sons of divorce, school shooters|publisher=|accessdate=2 July 2018|date=2013-12-16}}</ref> Based on the research of another social scientist who was himself raised by a single mother, Bradford Wilcox, "boys living in single mother homes are almost twice as likely to end up delinquent compared to boys who enjoy good relationships with their father."<ref name="aei.org"/> Moynihan said that "almost all school shooters come from families where the parents are either divorced or alienated",<ref name="mercatornet.com"/> and Cook argued that "perhaps they wouldn't need more gun control if they had better divorce control."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mercatornet.com/features/view/an-act-of-pure-evil/20506|title=MercatorNet: 'An act of pure evil'|publisher=|accessdate=2 July 2018}}</ref> ==Responses== ===Media=== {{expand section|date=November 2017}} Some people have considered whether media attention revolving around the perpetrators of mass shootings is a factor in sparking further incidents.<ref name=birch>{{cite web|last1=Birch|first1=Jenna|title=Does Media Coverage After a Mass Shooting Do More Harm Than Good?|url=https://www.yahoo.com/health/does-media-coverage-after-a-mass-shooting-do-more-125177743017.html|publisher=Yahoo! News|date=July 27, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> In response to this, some in law enforcement have decided against naming mass shooting suspects in media-related events to avoid giving them notoriety.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Elinson|first1=Zusha|last2=Lazo|first2=Alejandro|title=More Police Decide Against Naming Mass-Shooting Suspects|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-police-decide-against-naming-mass-shooting-suspects-1443985970|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=October 4, 2015|accessdate=October 5, 2015}}</ref> The effects of messages used in the coverage of mass shootings has been studied. Researchers studied the role the coverage plays in shaping attitudes toward persons with serious mental illness and public support for [[gun control]] policies.<ref name=emma>{{Cite journal|last1=McGinty|first1=Emma|title=Effects of News Media Messages About Mass Shootings on Attitudes Toward Persons With Serious Mental Illness and Public Support for Gun Control Policies|journal=American Journal of Psychiatry|volume=170|issue=5|pages=494–501|doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13010014|pmid=23511486|date=1 May 2013}}</ref> In 2015 a paper written by a physicist and statistician, [[Sherry Towers]], along with four colleagues was published, which proved that there is indeed mass shooting contagion using [[mathematical modeling]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Towers|first1=Sherry|last2=Gomez-Lievano|first2=Andres|last3=Khan|first3=Maryam|last4=Mubayi|first4=Anuj|last5=Castillo-Chavez|first5=Carlos|date=2 July 2015|editor-last=Yukich|editor-first=Joshua|editor-link=Joshua Yukich|title=Contagion in Mass Killings and School Shootings|journal=[[PLOS ONE]]|volume=10|issue=7|pages=e0117259|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0117259|pmid=26135941|pmc=4489652|layurl=https://www.livescience.com/51429-mass-shootings-are-contagious.html|laysource=Live Science|laydate=2 July 2015|bibcode=2015PLoSO..1017259T}}</ref> However, in 2017 Towers said in an interview that she prefers [[Industry self-regulation|self-regulation]] to [[censorship]] to address this issue, just like years ago major news outlets successfully prevent [[copycat suicide]].<ref>{{cite interview |last=Towers |first=Sherry |interviewer= John Hook|title= Newsmaker Sunday: Sherry Towers|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sQKZcpolAY |publisher=[[Fox 10 Phoenix]] |location=Phoenix, Arizona, United States |date=6 December 2017|work=Newsmaker Sunday |access-date=14 June 2018}}</ref> In 2016 the [[American Psychological Association]] published a [[press release]], claiming that mass shooting contagion does exist and news media and social media enthusiasts should withhold the name(s) and face(s) of the victimizer(s) when reporting a mass shooting to deny the fame the shooter(s) want to curb contagion.<ref>{{cite press release |last= Johnston|first= Jennifer|authorlink=Jennifer Johnston|date= 4 August 2016|title= "Media Contagion" Is Factor in Mass Shootings, Study Says|url=http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/media-contagion.aspx |location= |publisher= American Psychological Association |access-date=16 June 2018}}</ref> Some news media have weighed in on the gun control debate. After the [[2015 San Bernardino attack]], the ''[[New York Daily News]]''{{'}} front-page headline, "God isn't fixing this", was accompanied by "images of tweets from leading Republicans who shared their 'thoughts' and 'prayers' for the shooting victims".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/daily-news-cover-san-bernardino-shooting-2015-12|title=Hard-hitting Daily News cover blasts Republicans for offering only 'prayers' after latest shooting|author=Colin Campbell|publisher=Business Insider|date=December 2, 2015|accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Marina|last=Fang|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-york-daily-news-cover_565fa492e4b08e945fee15ce|title=New York Daily News Skewers Politicians Refusing to Act on Gun Violence: 'God Isn't Fixing This'|work=Huffington Post|date=December 2, 2015|accessdate=December 2, 2015}}</ref> Since the [[2014 Isla Vista killings]], satirical news website ''[[The Onion]]'' has republished the story "'No Way To Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens" with minor edits after major mass shootings, to satirise the popular consensus that there is a lack of political power in the United States to prevent mass shootings.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/10/03/why-this-onion-article-goes-viral-after-every-mass-shooting/ | title=Why this Onion article goes viral after every mass shooting}}</ref> ===Gun law reform=== {{See also|Overview of gun laws by nation}} Responses to mass shootings take a variety of forms, depending on the country and political climate. ====Australia==== After the 1996 [[Port Arthur massacre (Australia)|Port Arthur massacre]] in [[Australia]], the government changed [[Gun laws in Australia#The Port Arthur massacre and its consequences|gun laws in Australia]]. Between 1981 and the passing of the laws in 1996 there were 13 mass shootings with five or more deaths; in the following decade, while the new law was in place, there were no such mass shootings.<ref name=PMC/> Overall gun deaths have continued to decline for two decades since the law was passed,<ref name="auto">{{cite news|last1=Dewan|first1=Angela|last2=Tarabay|first2=Jamie|title=What the UK and Australia did differently after mass shootings |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/04/world/gun-control-uk-australia/index.html|accessdate=31 January 2018|publisher=CNN|date=6 December 2017}}</ref> ====United Kingdom==== As a result of the 1987 [[Hungerford massacre]] and 1996 [[Dunblane school massacre]] mass shootings, the [[United Kingdom]] enacted tough gun laws and a buyback program to remove specific classes of firearms (The Firearms Amendment Act 1988 limiting rifles and shotguns, and the 1997 Firearms Amendment Acts which restricted or made illegal many handguns) from private ownership.<ref name=hart>{{cite web|last1=Hartmann|first1=Margaret|title=How Australia and Britain Tackled Gun Violence|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/how-australia-and-britain-tackled-gun-violence.html#|publisher=Daily Intelligencer|date=October 2, 2015|accessdate=October 3, 2015}}</ref> There have been two mass shootings since the laws were restricted, the [[Cumbria shootings]] in 2010 which killed 13 people<ref name="auto"/> and the [[Moss Side mass shooting]] in 2018, in which no-one was killed. ====United States==== {{See also|Gun law in the United States|Gun laws in the United States by state|Gun politics in the United States}} In the [[United States]], support for gun law reform [[gun politics in the United States|varies considerably by political party]], with Democrats generally more supportive and Republicans generally more opposed. Some in the U.S. believe that tightening gun laws would prevent future mass shootings.<ref name=progress>{{cite web|last1=Collins|first1=Sam|title=One Change To Our Gun Laws That Could Have Prevented The Last Mass Shooting|url=http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/07/28/3685169/gun-laws-mental-health-lafayette/|publisher=Think Progress|date=July 28, 2015|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> Some politicians in the U.S. introduced legislation to reform the background check system for purchasing a gun.<ref name=ali>{{cite web|last1=Weinberg|first1=Ali|title=These 6 Stalled Bills Aimed at Mass Shootings Like Umpqua Flounder in Congress|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/stalled-bills-aimed-mass-shootings-umpqua-flounder-congress/story?id=34208798|publisher=ABC News|date=October 2, 2015|accessdate=October 3, 2015}}</ref> A vast majority of Americans support tighter background checks. "According to a poll [Made by CNN] by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, 93 percent of registered voters said they would support universal background checks for all gun buyers."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/10/americans-support-universal-background-checks|title=An Overwhelming Majority of Americans Still Support Universal Background Checks|work=Mother Jones|date=October 1, 2015|accessdate=December 16, 2015|first=Becca|last=Andrews}}</ref> Others contend that mass shootings should not be the main focus in the gun law reform debate because these shootings account for less than one percent of the U.S. homicide rate and believe that these shootings are hard to stop. They often argue that civilians with concealed guns will be able to stop shootings.<ref name=volokh>{{cite web|last1=Volokh|first1=Eugene|title=Do civilians with guns ever stop mass shootings?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/10/03/do-civilians-with-guns-ever-stop-mass-shootings/|publisher=Washington Post|date=October 3, 2015|accessdate=October 5, 2015}}</ref> Gun control policies may cause a lot of controversy due to divided opinions on who should be able to carry a weapon. An opinion survey was conducted by the firm GfK Knowledge Networks to differentiate between the different attitudes towards gun control. There was a gun policy survey and a mental illness survey. Studies showed that over 85% of those questioned supported national background checks into the mental health records of citizens attempting to purchase a gun. More than 50% of people felt that those with mental health issues were more deviant and threatening than those who had good mental health. The study also found that there is large interest in contributing to mental health awareness as well as simply prohibiting those with mental illness from purchasing guns. Nearly two thirds of respondents supported greater government spending on mental health, with more than 60% of people believing this would reduce gun violence in the USA. (Colleen L. Barry, 2013) ===Leaders=== As of June 2016, U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] had spoken in the aftermath of fourteen mass shootings during his nearly eight-year presidency, repeatedly calling for more gun safety laws in the United States.<ref name=korte>{{cite web|last1=Korte|first1=Gregory|title=11 mass shootings, 11 speeches: How Obama has responded|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/02/11-mass-shootings-11-speeches-how-obama-has-responded/73177526/|publisher=USA Today|date=October 2, 2015|accessdate=October 3, 2015}}</ref> After the [[Charleston church shooting]], U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] said, "At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It doesn't happen in other places with this kind of frequency."<ref name=benen>{{cite web|last1=Benen|first1=Steve|title=Comparing U.S. mass shootings to the rest of the world|url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/comparing-us-mass-shootings-the-rest-the-world|publisher=MSNBC|date=June 23, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}</ref> After the December [[2015 San Bernardino attack]], Obama renewed his call for reforming gun-safety laws and also said that the frequency of mass shootings in the United States has "no parallel in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-san-bernardino-shooting-2015-12|title=OBAMA: 'We have a pattern now of mass shootings ... that has no parallel'|work=Business Insider|date=December 2, 2015|accessdate=December 16, 2015|first=Maxwell|last=Tani}}</ref> After the February 2018 attack at Florida's [[Parkland school shooting]] at [[Stoneman Douglas High School]], the school's student survivors, teachers, and parents became strong leaders in the effort to ban [[assault weapon]] sales and easy accessibility to [[military weapons]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Witt|first1=Emily|title=How the Survivors of Parkland Began the Never Again Movement|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-survivors-of-parkland-began-the-never-again-movement?CNDID=30462369&spMailingID=12971483&spUserID=MTMzMTgzMTA1MjA0S0&spJobID=1341843325&spReportId=MTM0MTg0MzMyNQS2|website=The New Yorker|accessdate=20 February 2018|language=en|date=19 February 2018}}</ref> ==See also== * [[:Category:Mass shootings by country]] * [[Active shooter]] * [[Copycat crime]] * [[Mass murder]] * [[School shooting]] * [[Spree killer]] ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== * [http://timelines.latimes.com/deadliest-shooting-rampages/ Timeline: Deadliest U.S. mass shootings] * [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43004.pdf Public Mass Shootings in the United States: Selected Policy Implications] [[Congressional Research Service]] * [http://www.scilogs.com/algoworld/can-we-predict-mass-shootings/ Algoworld: Scientific Ways To Predict Mass Shootings] * [https://www.npr.org/2014/10/27/359403511/washington-case-revives-debate-about-contagious-mass-shootings Washington Case Revives Debate About 'Contagious' Mass Shootings] *[https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/10/mass-shootings-rising-harvard Yes, Mass Shootings Are Occurring More Often]. ''Mother Jones.'' October 21, 2014. [[Category:Mass shootings| ]] [[Category:Gun violence]] [[Category:Killings by type]] [[Category:Terrorism tactics]] [[Category:Attacks by method]] [[Category:Mass murder]] [[Category:Rampages]]'