Mass Shooting Research Paper

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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, …show more content…

‘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 …show more content…

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

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