Todays Mass Shooting
Today a Louisville bank employee who found out he was about to be fired showed up for work armed with an assault rifle. Then he proceeded to open on his coworkers killing four people — including a close friend of Kentucky’s governor — while live streaming the entire attack on Instagram. This is fascinating because the United States government wants to ban TikTok and never says anything about the most toxic social media company on the face of the planet Meta. Proving once and for all the legislators up on Capitol Hill have no idea WTF they are doing unless a lobbyist tells them to do it.
The Rise of Mass Shootings in the United States
The United States has experienced a significant increase in mass shootings in recent decades. Mass shootings are defined as incidents in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. These incidents can occur in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, places of worship, and public spaces.
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, there were 417 mass shootings in the United States in 2019, which is a significant increase from previous years. The number of fatalities resulting from mass shootings has also increased in recent years. In 2019, there were a total of 39,527 gun deaths in the United States, including 417 deaths from mass shootings.
The reasons for the increase in mass shootings are complex and multifaceted. Some experts point to factors such as easy access to firearms, the normalization of violence in popular media, and the social isolation and alienation of certain individuals as contributing factors. Others point to mental health issues, domestic violence, and extremist ideologies as driving forces behind mass shootings.
The frequency of mass shootings in the United States has led to widespread calls for action to address this issue. Advocates for gun control measures have called for policies such as background checks, limiting access to assault weapons, and increased support for mental health care. Others have called for improved school safety measures, including increased funding for school security and mental health services.
Overall, the rise of mass shootings in the United States has become a major public health issue, and finding effective solutions to this problem will require a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of these incidents.
The Assault Weapons Ban Sunsetting
It is important to note that the relationship between the expiration of the assault weapons ban and the rise in mass shootings is a topic of ongoing debate among experts and scholars. While some argue that the expiration of the ban played a significant role in the increase in mass shootings, others point to a range of other factors, including mental health issues, access to firearms, and the influence of violent media.
That being said, the period since the expiration of the assault weapons ban in 2004 has seen a significant increase in the number of mass shootings in the United States. According to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, there were 27 mass shootings (defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter) in 2004, the year the ban expired. In 2019, there were 417 mass shootings.
While it is difficult to draw direct causal links between any one policy change and the incidence of mass shootings, many experts have pointed to the ease of access to high-powered weapons as a contributing factor to the rise in these types of incidents. Assault weapons, in particular, have been used in a number of high-profile mass shootings, including the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the 2017 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is also worth noting that the issue of mass shootings is complex and multifaceted, and there is no single solution that will solve the problem. Many experts advocate for a comprehensive approach that includes measures such as improved mental health care, stricter gun control laws, and increased resources for law enforcement and community-based prevention programs.
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