Young Americans are being called the 'mass shooting generation,' with one in 15 people having witnessed a mass shooting, according to a survey.
Gun crime is so serious in the United States that there are 500 mass shootings per year, or one or two per day, and a survey has revealed that a very high percentage of people have witnessed a mass shooting, and that many have been injured or suffered psychological shock from bullets or shrapnel.
Direct Exposure to Mass Shootings Among US Adults | Public Health | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
One in 15 US adults have been on the scene | EurekAlert!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075966
In a study published in the JAMA Network, a monthly medical journal published by the American Medical Association, David Pirouz, a criminologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, and his colleagues conducted an online survey of 10,000 American adults. The survey was conducted in January 2024, and January was chosen because it is the time of year when mass shootings are least common in the United States.
The survey defined a mass shooting as 'a gun-related crime in which four or more people are shot in a public place such as a school, shopping mall, workplace or place of worship.' Participants were selected to represent different races and ages living in the United States and asked a series of questions, such as 'Have you ever been at the scene of a mass shooting?'
The survey results showed that 6.95% of the people surveyed had been present at a mass shooting, and 2.18% had been injured by bullets, shrapnel, or the crowds during evacuation. In addition to physical injuries, psychological scars were also serious, with about 75% of those who were not injured in the incident reporting experiencing mental distress.
'Seven percent is about one in 15 Americans, which is a really high number for such a seemingly specific and narrow group as gun violence,' Pirouz said.
Nearly three-quarters (76.15%) of respondents said the shooting happened in their 'hometown.' The most common location was 'neighborhood' at 34.69%, followed by 'bars or restaurants' at 12.38%, 'schools' at 12.09%, and 'concerts or outdoor events' at 11.05%.
The survey also found that younger generations were more likely to report experiencing a mass shooting than older adults. The fact that millennials and Gen Z are more likely to experience a mass shooting than older adults who have lived longer reflects the escalation of gun violence.
The study also found that men are 1.5 times more likely to be involved in a mass shooting than women, and that blacks, whites, and Asians are more likely to be present at a mass shooting, in that order. Specifically, blacks are 1.87 times more likely to be present at a mass shooting than whites, while Asians are 0.36 times more likely to be present at a mass shooting than whites. No racial or ethnic differences were found in gun injuries.
'Our findings lend credence to the idea that there is a 'mass shooting generation,'' Pirouz said. 'In particular, people who grew up in the aftermath of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting have unique experiences that are quite different from older generations.'
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