The Effects Of Mass Shootings

Even if a mentally ill person is banned from buying a gun, there is still another means for them to obtain one. The Times Editorial Board (2016) backed themselves by typing, “The gunman who shot and killed five people in Santa Monica three years ago was banned from owning a gun, so he bought the parts and made his own.” (p. 2). Marcotte (2015) brought up the fact that, “There are as many guns as people in this country, and fully a third of people are armed. Even when shootings happen in gun-happy places, where armed people are sure to be nearby, this vigilante scenario simply doesn't work.” (p. 2). Although there are so many guns in America, mass shootings still happen and are not easily preventable because not everyone arms themselves. Marcotte (2015) also later reports, “A lot of Americans who struggle with mental health are undiagnosed, though, and putting them on a government list that restricts their rights is not a great inducement to get a diagnosis.” (p.

Metzl, Jonathan M., and Kenneth T. MacLeish. “Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of

Has the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill led to the increase of mass shootings experienced in the US? According to Lankford, several reports suggest that up to 60% of offenders of mass shootings in the US since 1970, exhibited symptoms including depression, delusions, and acute paranoia prior to the commission of their crimes. Further statistics have shown that since 1982, there have been at least 71 public mass shooting across the country; with 34 of these mass shooting having occurred since 2006. A recent analysis of the database by researchers at Harvard University corroborated by a recent FBI study concluded that mass shootings have been on the rise. More than half of the cases involve school or workplace shootings, 12 and 20

Furthermore, mental illness is turning out to be a major cause of gun violence, in order to reduce gun crimes and instead of creating more laws and stipulations, steps must be taken. A professor at the University of Virginia and clinical psychologist, Dewey G. Cornell stated, ''We need to focus on prevention more broadly, before the violence, to have a real impact.'' (qtd. In Broader Approach). Some interpret that as, Americans need to stop focusing on the laws, and start realizing that dangerous situations, such as a mass shooting, can be prevented by recognizing the signs. Countless individuals are beginning to share his feelings. Some mentally ill people are starting to have a major part in mass shootings and those

When we hear the words mass shooting, most of us immediately pause and begin to think the worst. We are filled with sorrow that soon turns to anger as details of the event emerge. A portion of the population immediately begins to call for more gun regulation and the battle is staged again. This scenario plays out in the media and in the legislative halls around the country and seems to occur on a much too frequent basis. Has the frequency of mass shootings actually increased? Or has technology allowed the media to convey stories within minutes of their occurrence giving the appearance of increasing crime? Many people believe the term mass shooting and inner city are almost synonymous

After recent tragic events, such as the mass shooting that took place at a musical festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 1st, 2017, which left over 50 people dead, and over 500 others injured (Bui, Zapotosky and Barrett), the topic of stricter gun controls in America has become a controversial topic for many people in our society. Those in favor of stricter gun controls believe that by implementing laws that would make it more difficult for the average person to purchase and own guns, the result would be a decreased number of mass shootings and other gun deaths in our country. Typically, with these proposed laws, it is suggested that potential gun owners should be required to undergo mental health screening, in addition to regular background checks to see if the person has a history of any mental illnesses or past crimes. However, reducing the number of mass shootings and other gun deaths in America is not as simple as just implementing new laws.

Mass shootings happen a lot more frequently in the world than most of us probably know. However, every mass shooting that has been documented and investigated have the same main question behind it; Why did the attacker choose to do this? Many times, our assumptions are all we have. Investigation analyses the entire situation as much as it can to make sure our assumptions, if needed, are as accurate as possible. However, there are a lot of theories and social situations that pertain to mass shootings as well.

I've become desensitized and have little reaction to broadcasts about mass shootings, as I have become desensitized about other types of intentional harm and injury to another human being... because of the type of service I provide. I may not have strong emotional reactions anymore to the shootings. Still, can't wrap my mind around how easy it is to take away someone's right to live and breath.

In his essay “We need to stop the next Aurora Not with Gun Control but with Better Mental Health Treatment” David R. Dow explains how gun control is not the problem in mass shootings. Instead mental health is the real problem. I also believe what Dow expresses in his essay. If we help those whom we ignore and pretend aren’t there then these violent crimes will start to disappear. He wrote the essay to help prevent more shootings, by informing the public on what the real problem is.

November 8, 2015 was day 312 of the 365 in a year. November 8 was also the day of mass shooting number 325 in the United States. This shows that there have been more shootings than days in our year so far. People are being affected in almost all 50 states.

Recently the online magazine Kelly Gallagher posted an article on their website entitled “America’s Killing Contagion.” This article was written on the frenzy of mass shootings that have happened so frequently in the past few years. The article highlights not only how easy it is for people with vengeful intentions to obtain firearms, but also how the media can make it even harder to prevent these tragedies by encouraging others to commit similar crimes (Gallagher 3 & 5).

The crime that this paper will focus on and try to dissect/solve will be civilian mass shootings or as the Federal Bureau of Investigation refers to them, active shooter incidents, where a person(s) goes out into a public setting and tries to kill or injure others on purpose (FBI). The first problem with these types of incidents is gun control because the weapons that are used for these are guns that can be purchased from a store, and even if someone is to pass all the requirements to obtain and use one that does not mean that they should have one because of the risks involving not only them but anyone who might have access to the gun. Then there is the issue of mental health, not just mental illness, because besides anyone with

The world we live in today is corrupted with people whose motives are unethical and what some people would call unpredictable. Today’s generation is growing up in darkness where nobody can even dream of the light. Mass shootings are happening more commonly and actions aren’t being taken into initiative. Morals, are a person 's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. A person with basic moral principles can see it’s not acceptable for someone to shoot up a concert, or go into a church and spray multiple rounds. Yet we have people today who find it acceptable to go about their business this way. However, what about the people whose morals and ethics go totally against the thought of killing?

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.

Since the late 1970’s, there has been a strong correlation between mental health disorders and the perpetrators of mass shootings. “Up to 60% of the perpetrators have displayed symptoms including acute paranoia, delusions and depression before committing their crimes” (Metzl & Macleish, 2015). In the case of Adam Lanza, infamously known for the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the history of his mental illnesses is quite extensive. However, it has been discovered that when it comes to mental illnesses, it is not influenced by one factor, but rather many factors that have integrated into the individual’s life (Sue, 2014). These factors began affecting Lanza’s life at only two years old, continuing throughout his lifetime until his heinous act of murder at the age of twenty. Throughout his