The study is 38 pages long. I have condensed some of the data below. However, if you are so inclined, I recommend reading the whole thing to get the best understanding.
While the media uses the FBI standard of 4 or more people shot as a mass shooting, this includes mostly gang member on gang member shootings and other criminal activity. In order to successfully analyze the problem of mass shootings as we generally understand them, you need to look at the specific instances. You cannot stop school shootings by analyzing gang violence.
167 mass shootings from the last 50 years were analyzed. The database included over 160 independent variables. In addition, the study does not conflate gun deaths with mass shooting deaths. These are two very distinct categories.
Percentage of mass shootings during the period analyzed: 50%+ have occurred since 2000 33% have occurred since 2010 20% were in the last 5 years 16 of 20 of most deadly were in the last 20 years Mass Shooting Locations: Workplace = 28.1% Bars/nightclubs/restaurants = 14% Retail locations = 12.9% Schools = 12.9% Churches = 6.4% Other = 25.7% Mass Shooter Demographics: Male = 97.7% (only 4 were female) Mean Age = 34.1 years old (ranged from age 11 to age 70) White = 52.3% Black = 20.9% Hispanic = 8.1% Asian/Middle Eastern/native American = 12.4% Trauma and Suicidality: 80% of the shooters were in mental crisis 31% had experienced childhood trauma 30% of shooters were suicidal prior to the shooting 19.8% of shooters had previous hospitalization for psychiatric reasons 23.3% of shooters took psychiatric medication Warning Signs: 48% of shooters leaked their plans ahead of time 23.4% of shooters left behind some kind of manifesto 21.6% of shooters studied other mass shooters 70% of shooters knew at least some of their victims Firearms Used and How Obtained: 77.2% of shooters used hand guns 25.1% used some sort of “assault weapon” (some shooters used more than one weapon) 77% of shooters bought at least some of their weapons legally 13% made illegal purchases 19% stole their guns 80% of school shooters stole guns from relatives
*I know the media narrative is that 100% of mass shooters are white men, who vote R, use fully automatic weapons, and kill 10,000 people per day. While objectively false, it makes a lot of people feel good to have a boogey man. IMHO, one school shooting is too many. In order to stop them you need to analyze the problem. In this regard, the media is culpable of hindering the process in order to fufill their own ends.
