Since different acts of criminal violence have different profiles, let's first look at MASS MURDERS in the U.S., such as the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary that prompted the recent movement towards increased gun control. Mass murders are loosely defined as involving 3-4 fatalities in one location at one time, typically by a single perpetrator. They tend to be distinguished from "spree killings" which occur at multiple locations, and they are distinguishable from "serial killings" which occur over a greater period of time and at multiple locations. Here are some pertinent facts (I have highlighted significant facts in red):
From 1976 to present, there have been nearly 1000 mass murders, with an average death toll of 5.22 and 4.31 wounded.
Q: Who commits mass murders? A: Males (95%), average age of 30, mostly white (61%). Most have no criminal record. They are often NOT mentally ill--or at least not clinicaly diagnosed as such (see HERE), but may suffer from overly-high self-esteem.(see HERE) “Usually you’re dealing with an angry, dissatisfied person who has poor social skills or few friends, and then there is a trigger that sets them off.”(see HERE)
Q: Why do they commit mass murders? A: Mostly vengeance and anger. (see HERE) "Mass killers are
extremely deliberate and determined and, no pun intended, dead set on
murders....It’s not an impulsive act." (see HERE)
Q: What weapons are they using to commit mass murders? A: Guns (69%--of which 3% were assault weapons), other (17%), fire (14%). All but a few of the guns were obtained legally, and those that weren't, most were stolen from family members who obtain them legally. The worst mass murders didn't involve guns. (see HERE)
Q: Where did the mass murders occur? A: They occurred in each of the four
quarters of the U.S., with the highest percentage occurring in the South
(29%) and the lowest occurring in the West (22%). Most of them occurred privately (73%), often in homes. Of the mass murders that took place in public places, 5% were workplace massacres. and about 9% were at schools (see HERE for a list of school shootings in the U.S. since the 1700's).
Q: Who were the victims of mass murders? A: Mostly family members (40%) and acquaintances (36%). Mostly white (72%), males (55%), average age of 28. Only 9% of the mass murders were interracial.
Q. What is the historical trend for mass murders? A: The incident of ass murders are still relatively rare (see HERE), The chances of being killed in a mass shooting are probably no greater than being struck by lightning." (see HERE). "People usually don’t commit mass murder more than once." (see HERE) And, they occur fairly erratically with some occasional clustering, averaging about 27 incidents a year. "The statistics on mass murder suggest it is a phenomenon that does not track with other types of violent crime, such as street violence. It does not seem to be affected by the economy or by law enforcement strategies...When graphed, these incidents show no obvious trend. The numbers go up and down and up again."(see HERE) "There is no pattern, there is no increase...While mass shootings rose between the 1960s and the 1990s, they
actually dropped in the 2000s. And mass killings actually reached their
peak in 1929”(see HERE) What has increased is the news coverage.(see HERE)
Q. What public policy measure have already been tried in curbing mass murders, and have they been successful? A: Public policy measures have been varied, and include assault weapon bans and other gun control legislation (like background checks). Given that there has been relatively little change in the annual rate of mass murders in the last 40 or so years (see above), this suggest that anti-mass murder measures have had little or no impact. This is understandable given the very deliberate and typically well planned nature of these crimes, the lack of prior criminal record or ability to identify mental illness beforehand (see HERE), and the guns used in the mass murders were typically obtained legally and not covered under gun control laws and many didn't involve guns, particularly some of the most heinous.(see above).
"[James Alan]Fox, whose books include 'Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder.' 'They will find the weapons they need regardless of what impediments we put in front of them." (see HERE) He also has said: "Mass murderers typically plan their assaults for days, weeks, or months.
They are deliberate in preparing their missions and determined to
follow through, no matter what impediments are placed in their path... Most security measures will serve only as a minor inconvenience for
those who are dead set on mass murder. If anything, excessive security
and a fortress-like environment serve as a constant reminder of danger
and vulnerability...Mass killers typically expect to die, usually by their own hand or else
by first responders. Nothing in the way of prosecution or punishment
would divert them from their missions. They are ready to leave their
miserable existence, but want some payback first..Most mass murderers do not have criminal records or a history of
psychiatric hospitalization. They would not be disqualified from
purchasing their weapons legally. Certainly, people cannot be denied
their Second Amendment rights just because they look strange or act in
an odd manner. Besides, mass killers could always find an alternative
way of securing the needed weaponry, even if they had to steal from
family members or friends....The overwhelming majority of mass murderers use firearms that would not
be restricted by an assault-weapons ban. In fact, semiautomatic handguns
are far more prevalent in mass shootings. Of course, limiting the size
of ammunition clips would at least force a gunman to pause to reload or
switch weapons....While there are some common features in the profile of a mass murderer
(depression, resentment, social isolation, tendency to blame others for
their misfortunes, fascination with violence, and interest in weaponry),
those characteristics are all fairly prevalent in the general
population. Any attempt to predict would produce many false positives.
Actually, the telltale warning signs come into clear focus only after
the deadly deed.,,,With their tendency to externalize blame and see themselves as victims
of mistreatment, mass murderers perceive the problem to be in others,
not themselves. They would generally resist attempts to encourage them
to seek help. And, besides, our constant references to mass murderers as
“wackos” or “sickos” don’t do much to destigmatize the mentally ill."(see HERE) Others have commented, “We want to believe we can solve this type of crime and prevent it in the future. The only way that would be possible, would essentially be to lock down all public venues.”(see HERE) And, this will do nothing to stop the majority of cases, which occur in private, often at home.
However, according to John Lott, "The effect of 'shall-issue' laws [i.e. concealed weapon laws] on these crimes has been dramatic. When states passed these laws, the number of multiple-victim shootings declined by 84 percent. Deaths from these shootings plummeted on average by 90 percent, and injuries by 82 percent." (see HERE) Fox somewhat disagrees: "Mass killers are often described by surviving witnesses as being relaxed
and calm during their rampages, owing to their level of planning. In
contrast, the rest of us are taken by surprise and respond frantically. A
sudden and wild shootout involving the assailant and citizens armed
with concealed weapons would potentially catch countless innocent
victims in the crossfire."(see HERE)
Most of the statistics above were taken from a Western Criminology Review article (http://wcr.sonoma.edu/v6n1/manuscripts/duwe.pdf) as well as:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/20/mass-murderers-unlike-serial-killers-are-hard-to-profile.html
http://www.auburn.edu/~peteeta/massmurder1.htm
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/12/14/former-fbi-agent-difficult-to-profile-mass-murderer/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/getting-real-with-mass-murder-stats/2012/07/25/gJQA1YY28W_blog.html
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/mass-murder-rate-rising-newtown-shooting_n_2302590.html
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493636.html/
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