By the FBI definition of a mass shooting–which is 4 or more people, not including the shooter, shot (but not necessarily killed) in a single incident–the overwhelming majority of mass shootings are committed with handguns, and most mass shootings are either ordinary crime (gang-related, robberies, etc.) or domestic violence murder-suicides. Of the 20,000 or so homicides that are committed with firearms in the US annually, around 5% overall–about 1000–are committed with anything other than a handgun. That includes all shotguns and long guns.
Here’s a list of all mass shootings in the US in 2023; from what I can find, 3-4 of the worst shootings used a rifle. The Baltimore shooting is questionable, as they note that it appeared to be a rifle-caliber pistol, which could mean an AR-15 pistol, or it could mean a PDW.
So no, AR-15 rifles are absolutely no used weekly in mass shootings. That’s just blatantly false.
Have they killed hundreds of children? If you’re going to look at all civilian shooting deaths in the US over the last 50 years, then yeah, almost certainly. But in 2023? Or 2022? No, not even close.
Calling this out because I do not believe the evidence supports this. Please provide evidence for this claim.
By the FBI definition of a mass shooting–which is 4 or more people, not including the shooter, shot (but not necessarily killed) in a single incident–the overwhelming majority of mass shootings are committed with handguns, and most mass shootings are either ordinary crime (gang-related, robberies, etc.) or domestic violence murder-suicides. Of the 20,000 or so homicides that are committed with firearms in the US annually, around 5% overall–about 1000–are committed with anything other than a handgun. That includes all shotguns and long guns.
Here’s a list of all mass shootings in the US in 2023; from what I can find, 3-4 of the worst shootings used a rifle. The Baltimore shooting is questionable, as they note that it appeared to be a rifle-caliber pistol, which could mean an AR-15 pistol, or it could mean a PDW.
So no, AR-15 rifles are absolutely no used weekly in mass shootings. That’s just blatantly false.
Have they killed hundreds of children? If you’re going to look at all civilian shooting deaths in the US over the last 50 years, then yeah, almost certainly. But in 2023? Or 2022? No, not even close.
Huh I wasn’t expecting to get such a bombshell comment disproving the claim but damn you knocked it out of the park.