Experts reveal truth behind America's rising gun violence as Louisville shooting becomes 146th massacre in 2023
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: The shocking events that occurred in Louisville, Kentucky, went beyond being a mere tragedy for the affected community or the families of the victims. It was a brutal landmark for America. In 2023, the Louisville shooting became the 146th mass shooting to occur in the United States, while the previous year, there had been 126 reported incidents of mass shootings.
According to reports, Connor Sturgeon had been terminated from his job at Old National Bank. He unleashed his fury on his ex-colleagues by opening fire, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuring eight others. This incident marked the highest number of "mass shootings" ever recorded in the US within the first 100 days of a year.
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Mass shootings only represent 1.1% of gun deaths in the US
Gun-related fatalities have become so frequent that mass shootings only represent 1.1% of gun deaths in the United States, despite being events that are undeniably traumatic and attention-grabbing. According to statistics by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), most gun-related deaths are suicides. "It's not [that mass shootings] are not horrific, they absolutely are, but they are statistically rare events. When you're not offering that context, it makes everyone think that if you walk outside, you're going to die in a massacre," explained Jaclyn Schildkraut, the executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, as per Daily Mail.
The US has highest number of gun sales
According to experts interviewed by the news outlet, there is a combination of factors contributing to gun-related fatalities in the US. One significant factor is that the US already has the highest per capita gun ownership in the world, and this number has reportedly continued to increase over the past three years. In 2020, there was a significant surge in gun sales, with an increase of 65% compared to the previous year, as per the outlet.
Experts pointed out that the recent trend of escalating gun violence has led to fear, which ironically has caused people to resort to guns as a means of "protection." The surge in public fear can also be attributed to the uncertain and tumultuous times that we have been experiencing, such as the Covid lockdowns which began in 2020, as well as the mass unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd in the same year. These factors have also contributed to a rise in firearm sales.
"Some of those guns then get lost or stolen. More guns are on the street, there's more crime. People get more afraid, they buy more gun rights. And the cycle repeats," said John Roman, a senior fellow in the Economics, Justice, and Society Group at the University of Chicago, as per Daily Mail.
The weapons currently being purchased are more lethal
The firearms being purchased now are reportedly deadlier than those in the past. "We've seen an astonishing increase in the number of deadly semi-automatic weapons sold in the US in the last three years beginning in March 2020," said Roman. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a record 2.8 million AR-15 and AK-style rifles were produced or imported into the US in 2020. These advanced firearms are capable of rapidly firing numerous rounds, increasing the damage caused by shooters and the probability of innocent bystanders being hit, according to Roman. This is a contributing factor to the rise in mass shooting incidents. However, gun-rights advocates often argue that firearms are not the cause of deaths, but rather that people who use them are responsible.
Personal crises are a common factor among mass attackers
A study conducted by the US Secret Service and published in January analyzed mass violence data from 2016 to 2020, and identified a common factor among the attackers - they were frequently struggling with a personal crisis. Experiencing life stressors such as job loss, financial difficulties, family conflicts, drug abuse, and mental illness can significantly increase the likelihood of someone committing a violent public attack.
Although the reasons behind the Louisville shooting remain unclear, a source close to Connor Sturgeon's family revealed that the 25-year-old had been undergoing professional treatment for depression and anxiety. Additionally, reports indicate that Sturgeon had been informed of his termination from his job prior to the shooting.