The United States has become a paradoxically deadly nation in random intervals. The paradox lies in the source of the danger: its own community, and not a group of formally structured individuals operating outside of the law’s margin. While not statistically significant, the probability of being killed by a random stranger seems high due to the coverage mass shootings gain.
Shootings take place everywhere in the United States. However, mass shootings are not committed by organized crime or bands of terrorists for some ulterior motive. In fact, victimization due to armed bandits, like in Mexico, is uncommon and even impossible in some areas of the US. The phenomenon of being killed by a neighbor or fellow citizen at a place of business, worship or education feels somewhat likely.
Case in point, this week Maine, Florida and Illinois saw an unfortunate number of violent crime victims. Mass shootings ravaged what should have been normal outings. Maine had the unfortunate shooting committed by a white US Army reservist that left 18 dead. While Chicago’s mass shootings during a Halloween comedy party left 15 people dead because the shooter had been kicked out a few minutes prior. Details are still unfolding for a motive, but the suspect was apprehended alive.
Problem Unsolved: Motives
Unfortunately, there is a racial component to the frequency and racial make-up of the shooters.
Historically, white people have had greater access to firearms in the United States. Some of these rights naturally extend to other Americans who have shared generations of interaction and over time aggregated the same peculiar gun fascination linked to anti-social behavior.
Preventative measures seem unlikely despite convincing literature around such solutions. Even meek policies are not adopted. Although mass shootings contribute a numerically small number of deaths caused by firearms in the US, the RAND corporation notes that their public nature places them in the public consciousness. The RAND corporation has found a light inverse correlation between legislation for high-capacity firearm magazines and the number of mass shooting deaths. The culture around gun ownership is too entrenched in an important sector of American society.
A National Institute of Justice (NIJ) commissioned study, that involved faculty from Public Health and Criminology departments nationwide, has concluded that most of these shootings are committed by white individuals. 49 percent of mass shootings since the Columbine mass shooting have been committed by white male Americans. According to this study, African Americans commit a comparatively smaller number, but significant, 19 percent of mass shootings. Unsurprisingly, 96 percent of the perpetrators are male suggesting that certain anti-social behavior maps by gender.
Thus, the recurring demographics of the criminal mass shooter throttle the legal structure in the United States; in areas of the United States with white majorities, the same force with which local prosecutors and politicians rally against crime committed by non-white individuals is unlikely to be exerted.
Mass Shootings Recurrent Properties
Over time, studies have shown that mass shootings have recurrent properties such as the social make-up of the victims and shooters. Who you know and where you frequent is important.
For instance, if a mass shooting takes place near you or should be the unfortunate victim, you have a 70 percent likelihood of having some connection to the assailant. There may also have been some foreboding of the assault:
“Nearly half of individuals who engaged in mass shootings (48%) leaked their plans in advance to others, including family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as strangers and law enforcement officers. Legacy tokens, such as manifestos, were left behind by 23.4% of those who committed mass shootings. About 70% of individuals who perpetrated mass shooting knew at least some of their victims. In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were “insiders” — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.” – National Institute of Justice (2022)