Mass Shootings : The Issue Of Mass Shootings

The mean number of victims per mass shooting incident is not significantly different between the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s (so far). Also, the mean number of victims per mass shooting incident is not significantly different between Republican-leaning states and Democratic-leaning states. Finally, the difference in average number of victims per mass shooting incident between Republican-leaning states and Democratic-leaning states does not change across decades.

Guns have been used throughout history for war, hunting, and protection. Since then, the killing capacity and speed of guns has improved dramatically. Guns have been a part of American culture from its roots. However, as times have changed and guns are no longer a necessity, gun control has become increasingly urgent to prevent unnecessary crime and killings. Guns should be banned for everyone but the law enforcement and military. Guns should be banned to prevent mass shootings and lower crime rates, while being supported by history and the constitution.

The effort of this paper is designed to provide an audience with the basic framework in preventing, reacting to, and recovering from a school shooting. By analyzing the crisis of a school shooting, this paper will lay out the practical steps in preparing schools, communities, and local agencies for a tragedy that has already shook many communities across the nation. This paper will also follow the steps necessary to implement and evaluate a school shooting preparedness plan. In concluding this paper, school staff, local agencies, and families will be able to take the practical steps towards providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for students.

The occurence of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. The gunman, was 20-year-old Adam Lana, who first shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home. He then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. As first responders arrived, Lana committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The shooting began at approximately 9:30 a.m. Sandy Hook was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school or grade school in U.S. history and the second-deadliest mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history, after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. This shooting yet again assured the nation that gun violence is still as big of a problem as it was back in the late 90’s when 27 teenagers got killed in another mass killing in Columbine, Colorado. We as a nation must stand up and oppose mass murdering because these actions are not only unjust but inhuman as well.  The increase in gun violence can be decreased by, identifying the regions in the country where the most gun violence occurs and restricting their access to limiting or monitoring the availability of guns and ammunition.

The article, “The Truth About Mass Shootings and Gun Control: Crime and killings have fallen as gun ownership has increased”, was written in a manner to target a specific audience by using a current hot topic amongst politicians in the United States on gun control. By discussing recent mass shooting, the author is able to appeal to his audience with Ethos appeal allowing him to maintain the attention of the audience, which, otherwise would be overlooked by people outside his target audience.

Mass shootings have been a growing epidemic in the past years in the United States. According to CNN between the years 1966 and 2017 there have been 90 Mass Shootings in the United States; with the shootings more likely to occur at the workplace or at schools(1). But why is this happening? Why are unlikely citizens rising up and performing such vulgar actions? What truly has people baffled is what is causing people to commit such a horrific act of violence? We are baffled because we don’t understand what is the cause that the some of the people committing these shootings are thought to be normal, well raised, and stable-mind people. There are many theories as to why people commit these mass shootings. One is that it is that a people's thresholds for the act and they are joining in. Another is that is is testosterone and natural dominance causing those viewed as outcasts to commit the shooting. But I believe it is both of those but that there is a stronger one that explains the reason why good people are committing horrific shootings. My theory is the psychological act of splitting.

A mass shooting is defined as “one that kills or injures 4 or more people.” In 2015 alone there was 372 mass shootings in the U.S in 2015 that killed 475 people and wounded 1,870. The largest mass shooting in America happened in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. In Las Vegas, the gunman (Stephen Paddock) opened fire on a crowd at a Route 91 Harvest music festival. Stephen Paddock killed 59 people and injured 527. Before this, the largest mass shooting had been in June 12, 2016 when a 29-year-old security guard killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a hate crime/ terriost attack inside a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. More gun control is needed in this country to bring down the death toll in suicides and mass shootings in the U.S

All three texts share a common theme on mass shootings while using the research, findings, and published works of Professor Adam Lankford. Each of the texts uses the rhetorical aim Inform and Explain due to all three texts being presented in a expository manner. These texts fit the definitions and criteria for Inform and Explain as they are confident which is shown by making the purpose of the paper known early on and the continued stream of confidence throughout all three texts. In Newsweeks article Study: Mass Shootings ‘Exceptionally American Problem’ the title immediately states the purpose of the article followed by referring to Lankfords work almost immediately on how these mass shootings develop in America. This confidence and purpose

"I'm angry someone would do this to us. There are lives ruined, families ruined, and our whole school year is ruined" (Brackely 1). Casey Brackely, once a student that attended Columbine High School, remembers the tragedy of the horrific Columbine shooting that killed and injured many students. Mass shootings in the United States have been on the rise since the 1980’s, especially in the last decade. These shooters motives and profiles are almost all terrifyingly alike. Many of these shooters try to imitate and parallel the tragic shooting of the Columbine High School in 1999. These shootings have made peaceful organizations, such as an elementary school; become a place of violence and death. Currently, in the United States, an epidemic of

News coverage reported that Adam and his family always had guns in their home. His family would regularly go to local shooting ranges for leisure. Lanza's parents separated in 2001 when he was 9 years old and lived with his mother. Adam's mother had a pistol permit and would take Adam to National Rifle Association rifle courses. She had a big influence on his obsession and access to guns. All of the guns and ammunition from the shooting scene and his home were purchased by his mother. It has been speculated whether or not Adam's mother was a victim in this shooting or if she was to blame. As indicated in the Sandy Hook Final Report, Adam "had an interest in mass murders and serial killing" (Sedensky III, 2013). He had a huge obsession with school shootings, particularly Columbine. When the FBI investigated Adam's house, they discovered he had written violent e-mail expressing his obsession with guns, killing, and mass shootings. He had collected news articles on school shootings and photographs of corpses. He collected statistical data on "mass murders over the years listing information about each shooting" (Sedensky III, 2013). Table 3.12 displays the statistics of the 12 deadliest mass shooting events in the United

“Since at least 1950, all but two public mass shootings in America have taken place where general citizens are banned from carrying guns.” Now, envision being in a mall and you hear a horrible scream immediately after you hear a massive CRACK! You look behind you and you see a man running at you with a gun, you grab for your gun but you remember you have just gave your gun to the government. You would be defenseless because of gun control. Gun control should not be reinforced for the reasons that most mass shootings are in gun free zones. most gun related death are suicides, and these laws wouldn’t apply to criminals.

With mental illness identified as a very probable cause of these shootings, it is critical that the evidently poor and ineffective clinical help for mental disorders be reevaluated. A theoretical explanation for the modern prevalence of mental illness could be the increasingly optional nature of treatment: therapy is a choice, and checking into a facility or institution is

Recent shootings have not been labeled as terrorism in the United States, but have ties to terrorist organizations.

There is an assumption that if you understand the minds of serial killers, or persons who commit mass shootings, that it may help prevent mass shootings. “Mass shootings are not on the rise, but have held steady over three decades, randomly clustering in time to trick our brains into finding a pattern of increase where none actually exists” (Shermer 3). Mass shootings happen at varying times without rhyme or reason. Some think that a psychological disorder or some genetic defect could be the reason people commit these crimes. Although we cannot prevent mass shootings, we can educate on how mental health issues can be a precursor to such a tragedy, and how better laws can create a safer environment.

On October 1, 2017 America was, yet again, devastated when Las Vegas suffered the United States worst mass shooting. One man killed over 50 people and injured 527. After he was finished firing from the 39th floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort, he committed suicide. His name was Stephan Paddock (Yan and Park). When most people think of a mass shooting, they think of a terroristic act or someone shooting at a large group of innocent citizens, like Columbine High School or Sandy Hook Elementary School. In actuality, most people do not realize that whenever two or more people are injured or killed by a gun, it is considered a mass shooting. These “mass shootings” happen every day in America and they are one of the leading causes of death in