There have been 204 mass shootings — and 204 days — in 2015 so far

[damnedifIknow]

The headlines all start to sound the same after awhile. Seven people shot inside Louisville nightclub. Four men shot in Suffolk early Sunday morning. Two dead, two hospitalized in Brice Street shooting.

The shootings happen so often, the circumstances become so familiar, that we tune them out. One dead, five injured in west Columbus shooting. Four shot in grocery store ambush. One dead, four injured in Stockton shooting.

Every now and then a particularly heinous crime makes us pause and reflect. Nine dead in shooting at black church in Charleston. Four marines, one sailor killed in attacks on Chattanooga military facilities. Gunman opens fire on Louisiana movie theater.

The Mass Shooting Tracker, a crowd-sourced project of the anti-gun folks at the Guns Are Cool subreddit, lists 203 mass shooting events so far in 2015. Add in the shooting at a Louisiana movie theater last night and you get 204. Incidentally, yesterday was the 204th day of the year."


The Mass Shooting Tracker is different from other shooting databases in that it uses a broader definition of mass shooting. "The old FBI definition of Mass Murder (not even the most recent one) is four or more people murdered in one event," the site's creators explain. "It is only logical that a Mass Shooting is four or more people shot in one event."


https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/24/there-have-been-204-mass-shootings-and-204-days-in-2015-so-far/?tid=pm_business_pop_b

[99th_Monkey]

1. This is what happens

when we fawn over all things military, insist on the absolute authority of
cops no matter who they murder in our streets, resist even a modicum
of reasonable gun control and generally tolerate a 'bully culture' where "might
makes right".

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. In 2012 there were ~11,000 gun homicides in the US

Over 500 of those were in the city of Chicago where owning a gun was all but illegal.

[Mojorabbit]

3. Most seem to be young white males with major issues

I wish we knew what is going through their minds that they think this is an appropriate means to express those issues.

[NJCher]

5. hormones

Cher

[Mojorabbit]

7. I wonder if conflict resolution classes in the school might make a dent

The easiest things to do are worth trying as the debate goes on. Perhaps raise the age for ownership?

[SunSeeker]

4. k & r

[SheilaT]

6. 204 mass shootings.

And that doesn't even include all the one by one shootings that occur. The toddler that finds a gun in his mom's purse -- that's actually my personal favorite in that it brings together so many elements of our gun culture.

And the death toll does not even begin to count all those who are merely wounded or maimed by guns.

Here's just one: http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/f149/pictures-carolyn-thomas-shot-face-boyfriend-10795/