A closer look at mass attacks in America
Image: Aaron Kehoe/AP
In a first-of-its-kind report published Wednesday, the US Secret Service analyzed trends across dozens of mass attacks that have occurred in public spaces around the country in recent years.
📝 A deeper dive… Researchers from the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center defined a mass attack as one “in which three or more people, not including the attacker, were harmed.”
They analyzed 173 such attacks that were carried out in public places like businesses, schools, or churches across the US over a five-year period ending in December 2020.
Here are some of the top data points:
- 96% of the attackers were male, which the Secret Service said is consistent with previous analyses of mass attacks.
- The attackers’ ages ranged from 14 to 87, with an average of 34.
- 73% of the attacks involved one or more firearms – and in nearly 25% of such cases, at least one gun was acquired illegally.
- 51% of the attacks were motivated by “perceived wrongs” related to personal, domestic, or workplace issues.
- 64% of the attackers had previously displayed behaviors or shared communications that were "so concerning, they should have been met with an immediate response."
- 58% of the attackers experienced mental health symptoms before or during their attack, though researchers emphasized that mental health factors shouldn’t be considered causal explanations for why the attacks occurred.
📸 Big picture: The landmark Secret Service report came as the US is experiencing its deadliest January ever recorded in terms of mass killings, per a database compiled by the AP, USA Today, and Northeastern that dates back to 2006.
Since 2015, the three months with the most mass killings – defined as four or more dead, not including the offender – have all occurred since October 2022. There were 42 mass killings overall last year, representing a 14% increase from 2021 and the second-highest total on record.
📊 Flash poll (long-form): In your opinion, what can be done to reduce the occurrence of mass attacks in America? The best responses will be featured in tomorrow’s newsletter.
See a 360° view of what media pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue America’s problem with mass attacks is inextricably linked to gun violence, which is an incredibly complex issue that can’t be fixed with just one or two changes to society.
- Others contend that everyday Americans can’t count on Congress to act in a way that will adequately address the issue of mass attacks, so each state legislature needs to make it one of their main priorities.
- “The gun violence scourge can’t be scrubbed out with one or two changes” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “After three new mass shootings, California’s response should focus on existing state laws” –San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board
- “A nation gripped by gun violence” –The Press Democrat Editorial Board
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that there’s no one simple solution to America’s problem with mass attacks, and any pundit or politician who tells you otherwise is lying for personal gain.
- Others contend that, while the Second Amendment protects the rights of Americans to bear arms, there should still be common-sense laws that prevent people intent on killing from getting their hands on the guns they use.
- “Biden’s Gun-Control Misdirection” –National Review Editorial Board
- “Mass shootings can be stopped only if we work together” –David Hogg, Fox News
- “Two new mass shootings show again that the nation need to do more on guns” –Buffalo News Editorial Board
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