Topline
The spate of mass shootings that have plagued the U.S. over the past few weeks is unprecedented to start a year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which shows the country is on by far its fastest pace for mass shootings in recent history.
Monterey Park, California, Mayor Henry Lo succumbs to grief as he crouches at a makeshift memorial ... [+]
Key Facts
At least 37 mass shootings with four or more injuries or deaths have occurred in the U.S. since January 1, meaning this year has already set a decade-long record for the most in the month of January, according to the archive, which has kept statistics on shootings since 2014.
The previous high for January was set last year, when there were 34 mass shootings.
Between 2014 and 2022, the U.S. averaged 25 mass shootings in a typical January, according to the archive.
Definitions vary for what constitutes a mass shooting, but the Gun Violence Archive considers mass shootings as incidents where at least four people are shot—not including the shooter.
News Peg
The two most prolific shootings of the year happened over the weekend. Eleven people have died and nine others hospitalized with injuries as a result of Saturday night’s shooting at a dance studio near Los Angeles, while 12 people were shot and injured at a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, nightclub early Sunday morning. Authorities believe victims of the California shooting were selected at random, while police in Louisiana have described the Baton Rouge shooting as “targeted.”
Surprising Fact
Two students were killed and an employee was shot Monday at an educational mentorship in Des Moines, though the event does not qualify as a mass shooting under commonly used definitions.
Key Background
The number of mass shootings and their casualty counts have risen dramatically in recent years. According to data from the Violence Project, which defines mass shootings as public incidents in which at least 4 victims are killed, 363 people died in mass shootings in the U.S. between 2017 and 2022—over 100 more deaths than any other six-year period dating back to at least 1966. The spike in mass shootings—along with a general rise in gun violence, which has coincided with an increase in gun ownership—has sparked heated political debate over the source of the growing problem and potential solution. The Democratic-controlled Congress last year passed the most sweeping gun control legislation in decades, encouraging states to adopt red-flag laws and enhancing background checks for buyers under 21, among other measures, but gun control advocates argued that the new restrictions didn’t go nearly far enough. Republicans, meanwhile, have labeled the rise in random mass shootings as “a mental health problem” and have tended to focus their attention on shootings in urban areas, which they largely attribute to a decrease in police officer staffing and morale blamed on the hard-left “defund the police” movement that gained traction after George Floyd was murdered by a cop in broad daylight in 2020.
What To Watch For
Republican control of the House makes it seem unlikely any new federal gun control legislation will be passed through at least early 2025. New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) voted against last year’s gun control bill, even though it had enough GOP support in the Senate to overcome the filibuster.
Further Reading
Eleventh Victim Dies After Monterey Park Shooting, Hospital Says (Forbes)
Congress Approves Gun Control Bill—Biden To Sign Into Law (Forbes)
Americans More Worried About Violent Crime As Republicans Make It A Top Midterm Issue (Forbes)
