Words fail in the wake of the senseless recent attacks in Denver and San Bernardino. Yet this article contains analyses that help shed light on the broader underlying nature of mass attacks, which several researchers claim are not rising; yet are tragically common. 88 persons/day die due to gun violence in the United States; mostly due to domestic violence. Access to guns are among factors implicated. States requiring background checks prior to gun purchasing have had fewer incidents in which four or more persons were killed. Fewer of such attacks are caused by persons prohibited from purchasing guns.
In terms of the impact of ideology, the article concludes “Dr. Jeffrey Simon, a visiting lecturer in political science at U.C.L.A. who studies mass shootings with many victims, said that the killers shared no consistent ideological motivation. ‘They really cut across the spectrum of political and religious ideologies and other grievances,” Dr. Simon said. “You have personal motivations, political motivations, religious motivations, criminal motivations, or just no motivations at all, as the shooter acts out their fantasies. And the line between them sometimes is very blurred.’ ”
Those of us at September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows long to end these preventable violent deaths. We hope the nation will address gun control and support social interventions that proactively curb domestic and other forms of violence.
December 3, 2015
