Are mass shootings with multiple fatalities on the rise this year?

[Seen the light]

Is it just me or are there reports of 5 dead in a nursing home shooting or 3 dead in a church shooting or 12 dead in an immigration building shooting or 6 dead in a shooting at a party every few days now?

Are these incidents really on the rise and, if so, why?

[mudesi]

1. A Bad Economy Coupled With Easy Access To Guns

And no social safety net.

[derby378]

2. Not as far as I can tell...

These shootings are being sensationalized for God knows what purpose.

Here in Dallas, crime is down - and our gun laws are more liberal than Oakland's or Binghamton's.

[depakid]

5. "These shootings are being sensationalized for God knows what purpose."

You didn't really mean to say that... did you?

[derby378]

6. It comes from watching BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE by Michael Moore

Our media has a tendency to play up the "fear" card a lot, and I think it started even before Bush 43.

As a nation, we need to do something to reduce shootings like this, but we have to take a deep breath and weigh the facts of the case before we start debating options. So if it seems like I'm being ornery, it stems from my own problems with media coverage in America, where TMZ and O'Reilly's "gotcha" interviews are a long cry from the legacy of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow.

[depakid]

7. I agree with that assessment with respect to mundane crimes

Local "news" in America is little more than the hyped up police blotter, multiple weather reports and sports. Maybe 5% to 8% useful information about what's happening in the community or the state which might actually benefit and better people and their communities.

It's not like that to anywhere near that degree in other nations, btw. America is very much an exception in that regard.

[uppityperson]

8. These shootings are being sensationalized to sell ad time.

Role of the media is to:
1) report news
2) sell ads

[Quantess]

3. It's looking that way.

I would like to see it on a graph, every year, going back at least 30 years.

[Javaman]

4. no mass stupidity is on the rise. nt

[Juche]

9. I was wondering the same thing

I would guess it is due to a variety of factors

A huge one that nobody is willing to talk about is the 10-20 million wingnuts who seriously believe Obama is the antichrist, a secret communist or an Al Qaeda Manchurian candidate. I wouldn't be surprised if that is playing a role. Then again, why aren't they attacking him and not civilians if that is why? So I could be wrong.

The collapsing economy probably doesn't help, nor does all the call for violent treason from the right wing media.

[EFerrari]

10. Money stress is one of the very worst. We haven't seen anything yet. n/t