Mass Shooting Research Paper

Mass Shootings:

Understanding Them and Putting a Stop to Them

The exact number of mass shootings in the United States this year is debatable, however enough have taken place that something needs to be done to stop them from happening again and again as they have this year. There is such a wide variety of opinions regarding how many mass shootings have happened this year due to the definitions that each data gatherer uses to categorize what exactly a mass shooting is. Some websites and groups think of a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people were wounded or killed, meanwhile others only count mass shootings as incidents in which people died and weren’t merely wounded. However, in the end what matters isn’t the definition,

but the fact that far too many shootings have taken place this year both in public and in homes. No person, no matter their age, race, or background has been spared from these atrocious acts of violence. We can no longer ignore the fact that shootings have become a regular occurrence in the America we live in today and it’s time to look into the causes of these shootings and what we should do to make an effort to stop them from continuing to terrorize our communities.
We can’t say for certain what causes mass shootings. However, we can look at patterns in the mass shootings that have taken place in the past to find some sort of common link between
Muniz 2
them. When examining mass shootings in the past, one may find that one of the things that some shooters had in common was a history of mental illness. It is wrong to say that all those who are mentally ill are violent, but we can’t ignore the number of shooters in the past who were diagnosed with some sort of mental illness. A few of these shooters include Jiverly Wong, Maj. Nidal Hasan, Jared Loughner, James Holmes, and Aaron Alexis. All of these shooters had some sort of mental instability that was identified before the shootings took place. The problem here isn’t the shooters themselves, but the fault in the access to mental health care in the United States and the stigma attached to the topic. In an article she wrote titled, Understanding Lack of Access to Mental Healthcare in the US: 3 Lessons from the Gus Deeds Story, psychiatrist Shaili Jane, MD touches on the fact that there is a shortage of mental health professionals in the United States and the director of the National Institute of Mental Health backs this claim. The shortage of mental health professionals is so extreme that “55 percent of counties do not have a practicing psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker” as reported by the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Nearly 20 percent of the US population will experience mental illness in a given year and these people may very well go without treatment whether it is due to the lack of professionals or because of the costs. And here we have another obstacle with mental health care in this country and that is the inability for many Americans to afford the costs of mental health services. Though some people are able to have their insurance cover the costs of mental health care, others are not so fortunate. In a survey conducted by the
National Alliance on Mental Illnesses, nearly a third of those surveyed reported that their insurance companies refused to cover their treatments because they did not deem the care
Muniz 3
medically necessary. This leaves those with mental health issues without access to the mental health care the need. Imagine, how different the lives of those mentally ill shooters might have been, if only they had been able to access proper mental health care.
Mental illness is not the only factor in these mass shootings. The problem of how a mentally unstable person obtained a gun is brought to light after shootings. In the case of James Holmes, he entered the midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises equipped with tear gas grenades as well as “nearly 6,300 rounds of ammunition, two Glock .40 caliber pistols, a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, ballistic protection clothing, beam laser lights, bomb-making material and handcuffs” as reported by agent Steve Beggs. Holmes purchased these weapons and materials both online and in person. During Holmes’ trial, his defense attorney questioned agent Beggs whether there is some legal process in the state of Colorado to keep from selling such items to a “severely mentally-ill person” and Beggs answered that there is not. The problem regarding gun control then arises. In the United States, one of the most treasured amendments in the Constitution is the Second Amendment which grants the citizens the right to bear arms. However, shouldn’t there be limitations as to who gets to purchase these weapons and what type of weapons they are able to buy? Many mass shooters were clearly unfit to own weapons, and yet, they were able to pass background checks and legally purchase their weapons at gun shops. Some examples include Aaron Alexis who used a shotgun to kill 12 people. Alexis was discharged from the Navy for “pattern of misbehavior” and sought treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs for psychiatric issues twice. When Alexis attempted to purchase a weapon he was stopped from purchasing a rifle, but permitted to purchase a shotgun.
Muniz 4
Jiverly Wong killed 13 former classmates with two pistols that he purchased legally. He purchased the first pistol with no problem as his mental health issues had not been documented at the time. When Wong returned to purchase the second pistol his background check was not approved immediately, but he was able to obtain the second pistol due to a federal rule that allows a gun to be sold if the background check does not make a decision within three business days. Obviously there are flaws in how background checks are currently conducted and loopholes need patching up. Laws must also be put into place restricting civilians from purchasing certain weapons, because what does a civilian need tear gas and a semiautomatic rifle for? According to Marty Hayes, JD a pro-gun activist:
“One of the overarching themes of the anti-gun movement is that Americans simply do not need these types of weapons.

‘Why does anyone need a high capacity assault rifle?’ After all, high capacity semi-automatic rifles are not used for hunting or sporting purposes, just for killing humans. To which I respond exactly.” Owning highly potent weapons with the sole intent of self defense is a poor argument when any other less powerful weapon could do the trick.

A third factor of mass shootings has come into question after mass shootings have happened back to back in the United States. The third factor being questioned is the role the media plays in inspiring copycat mass shootings. Andre Simons of the FBI’s Behavioral

Analysis Unit analyzed 160 mass shootings that took place in the United States between 2000 and 2013 and concluded that “The copycat phenomenon is real.” In a study conducted by the

Muniz

5
Arizona State University and Northeastern Illinois University, researchers found that 20 to 30 percent of attacks are set off by other attacks covered in the news. Sherry Towers, a research
professor at Arizona State University, reports that "On average, mass killings involving firearms occur approximately every two weeks in the U.S., while school shootings occur on average monthly." Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci has argued that “The more clearly a person can envision a scenario, the more likely he or she is to follow through on it.” This applies to how the media currently covers mass shootings in which they provide detailed descriptions of the murder scene and specific weapons used.

The other problem is putting the shooter in the spotlight on news coverage and giving them attention. Focusing on the shooter gives them the attention that they potentially sought out when they decided to follow through with the shooting. Andre Simons of the FBI reported that "As more and more notable and tragic events occur, we think we're seeing more compromised, marginalized individuals who are seeking inspiration from those past attacks." As the media continues to cover mass shootings in a detailed manner and providing the shooter with a spotlight on newspapers and websites across the nation, reports show that other potentially vulnerable people may be inspired by such events to gain the fame that previous shooters have

received.
Despite the number of mass shootings that take place in the United States each year, pro-gun activists disagree with the new gun regulation laws that are proposed every time after a mass shooting. Pro-gun activists believe that citizens not only have the right to be armed, as stated in the Constitution, but they should be armed in order to protect themselves and potentially

Muniz 6
help in stopping mass shootings from occurring. In an interview with CNN, gun rights activist, John Law stated, “My solution for these mass shootings is to look at the fact that every single
time, these attacks occur where guns are banned. Every single time.” However, the FBI proves Law’s claim to be false as shootings occur in several different environments, including those
where guns are permitted. Earlier this fall, a shooting took place in Umpqua Community College in Oregon, yet they were not a gun free zone. One student, John Parker Jr., was armed on campus at the time of the shooting however, he decided against intervening. There are many instances in which armed civilians were present at shootings, but they were not able to stop the shooter until after the shooting took place for example Joel Myrick at the shooting at Pearl High School, who stopped the shooter only after he had accomplished his goals. The other factor pro-gun activists do not consider is how shooters generally follow through with their shooting plans completely aware that it is more than likely a suicide mission and some make it a suicide mission as they kill themselves once they are finished killing others. The presence of guns has not stopped previous shooters. When Dr. Peter Langman, a clinical psychologist, was questioned on the matter he stated:
“Many of these shooters intend to die, either by their own hand or by suicide by cop. There was an armed guard at Columbine. There were armed campus police at Virginia Tech. The presence of armed security does not seem to be a deterrent, because they’re not trying to get away with it.”