Most school shootings aren’t mass killings, study finds, and they’re often driven by community violence | CNN
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Many Americans think of school shootings as mass casualty events involving an adolescent with an assault-style weapon. But a new study says that most recent school shootings orchestrated by teenagers do not fit that image — and they are often related to community violence.

Many Americans think of school shootings as mass casualty events involving an adolescent with an assault-style weapon. But a new study says that most recent school shootings orchestrated by teenagers do not fit that image — and they are often related to community violence.

The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, analyzed 253 school shootings carried out by 262 adolescents in the US between 1990 and 2016.

It found that these adolescents were responsible for only a handful of mass casualty shootings, defined as those involving four or more gunshot fatalities. About half of the shootings analyzed — 119 — involved at least one death. Among the events, seven killed four or more people.

A majority of the shootings analyzed also involved handguns rather than assault rifles or shotguns, and they were often the result of “interpersonal disputes,” according to the researchers from University of South Carolina and University of Florida.

  • farcaster@lemmy.world
    11·
    1 year ago

    Restricting access to guns is specifically achievable (see also: most of the rest of the world) and would save many lives.

    In tandem, sure let’s work on preventing violence in general. I’m all in favor, but achieving this semi-utopian goal seems far more challenging.

      • farcaster@lemmy.world
        11·
        1 year ago

        Then restrict gun ownership. It’s the most rational action which can be taken to stop American classrooms being stained by blood.

        But… I know I am just venting. I know this isn’t going to happen. Millions of Americans are demonstrably fine with other people losing their little girl or boy, their small bodies torn apart by bullets, just so they can have a gun for whatever reason. It’s just the way it is, sadly.

          • farcaster@lemmy.world
            11·
            1 year ago

            Obviously, gun ownership should be restricted.

            Judging by the downvote brigade whenever somebody argues for gun control, which also plagues Reddit, it seems not so obvious to many.

              • farcaster@lemmy.world
                1·
                1 year ago

                Perhaps. I think it’s pretty obvious no matter how it’s phrased, or who posts it, comments critical of unrestricted gun ownership typically get downvoted without a lot of replies. At least you are engaging and we’re having a conversation.