Not All Mass Shootings Are The Same

Whenever there is a mass shooting/killing, whether it occurs in an educational facility, a workplace or in a public setting such as a shopping mall or at a concert etc. there are those who are quick off the mark to present solutions, such as tightening legislation on gun ownership, investing more in mental health etc., however not all mass shootings and killings are the same, and so a solution that might be appropriate for dealing with one type of violence, may not be effective in preventing another type e.g., raising the legal age for gun ownership, may have an effect in preventing future school shootings, it is unlikely to have much of an impact on workplace shootings, which are predominantly carried out by white, middle-aged men. In this article I am not looking to propose or judge the effectiveness of any potential solutions, as this can sometimes end up being – unintentionally – divisive, but rather look at some of the key differences between different types of active shooter/killer incidents so that we don’t fall into the trap of treating them all as being one and the same.

Firstly, even forgetting the settings in which such events take place e.g., workplaces, schools, colleges etc., there are significant and fundamental differences between offenders who commit mass murder, and those who commit mass murder-suicide. One major difference between the two groups is age. Murder-suicide (including “death by cop” i.e., actively looking to be killed by law-enforcement officers) is much more common between those aged 25 and above, than with those who are younger. Therefore, policies that may be aimed at deterrence via the severity of punishment for committing offenses etc., are unlikely to be effective with this older group. Also, from a predictive perspective, whilst murder and suicide do share some common risk factors and predictors, such as an anger at society, groups and/or individuals, suicidal-ideation and murder-ideation are also distinct ways/forms of thinking e.g., there are fewer and less severe signs, and indicators of depression with murder-ideation than there are with suicidal-ideation etc., so whilst depression, along with substance abuse may be some of a number of warning signs with adult mass shooters, this may not be the case to the same degree with younger mass killers etc. When investing more in mental health is proposed as part of the solution to dealing with mass killings, there isn’t a simple cause, or motivation that is shared by all killers, that is easy to identify; and often those, such as family members, who witness actions and behaviors that may be indicators of murder and suicidal-ideation, aren’t always in a position to recognize, what the end result of these may be i.e., a mass killing.

Taking a look at the statistics shows that there are stark differences between those who engage in mass killings as murder-suicides, those who do so as terrorists, those who are employees or ex-employees who kill in their workplaces, and those who engage in school shootings. In less than 11% of workplace murder-suicides does the perpetrator leave a note, compared with 67% of terrorists, and 50% of those who engage in mass-killings in educational facilities, such as schools and colleges. This along with the fact that in most workplace shootings (80%), there is an identifiable crisis event, such as being reprimanded by a supervisor (Pat Sherrill, Edmonton Post Office, Oklahoma, 1986) or having an employer garnishing wages on behalf of the IRS (Michael McDermott, Edgewater Technology Shooting, Massachusetts, 2000) etc., suggests that in workplace shootings they are somewhat less planned and more impulsive. Whilst crisis events feature in other types of mass killings they are less of a factor. Workplace shootings also tend to have both fewer fatalities (3.26) than other types of mass killings, such as rampage killings in public settings (5.67), as well as fewer casualties; 5.94 compared to 10.56. It is always worth noting that when looking at the number of fatalities in mass killings, a significant factor concerning who lives and dies, is the speed at which those shot and/or stabbed can get medical assistance. The pulse nightclub shooting, in Florida (2016), resulted in an extremely large number of fatalities (49), partly as a result of the police being involved in a three-and-a-half-hour standoff with the shooter (Omar Mateen). It would be impossible to say how many people might have survived if they had received immediate medical attention for their injuries etc. but it is likely that some people could have survived had this been the case.

There is also a category of mass shooting (incident with four or more fatalities, not including the perpetrator), that gets little media attention, but is responsible for a significant number of shootings. Analyzing data (110 incidents) between 2014 and 2019, from the Gun Violence Archive, Geller, and co-authors of the study, found that over two-thirds (68.2%) of all mass shooting incidents were related to domestic violence e.g., either the perpetrator had a history of domestic violence but directed their killing at strangers (9.1%), or they were actively targeting partners and/or family members (59.1%). These types of incidents go largely unreported because those victimized have a relationship with the perpetrator. The media tends to be more interested in focusing on those incidents and events which appear random, and where anybody could potentially be a victim etc. It is also worth noting the link between domestic violence and workplace shootings; many women who escape from abusive relationships are able to keep their new address secret from their ex-partner, however it is much harder and takes longer to change jobs and workplace etc. This means that the abusive partner knows where they can find them, and at what times etc. It would be wrong to look at any solution to active shooter and mass-killer events without considering the role that domestic violence plays.

We may have in mind when we think of mass shooting/killings those that may affect us directly, such as those which take place in public spaces that we may visit, or schools and colleges that our children and family members may attend etc. We may not really consider the threat of violence in the workplace, unless we are aware of a co-worker that has made threats, and/or talks admiringly about past shooters/killers etc. However, mass killings, are complex affairs and aren’t homogenous, meaning that preventative solutions will need to be targeted and focused.