Mass shootings in the United StatesMass shootings are incidents involving multiple victims of firearm related violence. Definitions vary, with no single, broadly accepted definition. One definition is an act of public firearm violence—excluding gang killings, domestic violence, or terrorist acts sponsored by an organization—in which a shooter kills at least four victims.
Mass shooting contagionMass shooting contagion theory is the studied nature and effect of media coverage of mass shootings and the potential increase of mimicked events. Academic study of this theory has grown in recent years due to the nature of mass shooting events, frequency of references to previous rampage shooters as inspiration and the acquisition of fame using violence, particularly in the United States.
Active shooterAn active shooter is the perpetrator of an ongoing mass shooting. The term is primarily used to characterize shooters who are targeting victims indiscriminately and at a large scale, who oftentimes, will either commit suicide or intend to be killed by police. More generally, an active perpetrator of a mass murder may be referred to as an active killer.
Gun violenceMethod of violenceDemonstration against gun violence in Geneva, 2018Rates of gun-related homicide (red) and suicide (blue) in high-income OECD countries, 2010. Countries in the graph are ordered by total death rates (homicide plus suicide plus other gun-related deaths).Gun-related violence is violence against a person committed with the use of a firearm to inflict a gunshot wound. Gun violence may or may not be considered criminal.
TerrorismUse of violence to achieve political or ideological aimsThe Twin Towers of the World Trade Center burning during the September 11 attacks, planned by Osama bin Laden and carried out by al-Qaeda members in New York City on September 11, 2001
Gun Violence ArchiveThe Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is an American nonprofit group with an accompanying website and social media delivery platforms which seeks to catalog every incident of what it deems to be gun violence in the United States. It was founded by Michael Klein and Mark Bryant. Klein is the founder of the Sunlight Foundation, and Bryant is a retired systems analyst. HistoryThe GVA was established in 2013 and began in 2014 and is ongoing.Survivor guiltSurvivor guilt or survivor's guilt (also survivor syndrome, survivor's syndrome, survivor disorder and survivor's disorder) happens when individuals feel guilty after they survive a tragic, near death, or traumatic event when others perished. It can cause similar depressive symptoms associated with PTSD. Dr. William G. Niederland first introduced the term to describe the feeling of punishment many of the Holocaust survivors felt for surviving over their loved ones.
Mass murderMass murder is the violent crime of killing a certain amount of people, usually at least 3 or 4, and typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more people kill several others. Data suggests that approximately 30% of United States mass murderers die in the act.Going postalGoing postal is an American English slang phrase referring to becoming extremely angry or uncontrollable, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment. The expression derives from a series of incidents from 1986 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed people in acts of mass murder. Between 1970 and 1997, more than 40 people were killed by then-current or former employees in at least 20 incidents of workplace rage.
Federal Bureau of InvestigationU.S. federal law enforcement agencyLaw enforcement agencyThe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. An agency of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the attorney general and the director of national intelligence.
Post-traumatic stress disorderMental disorder associated with traumaMedical conditionPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event. Examples include sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare along its associated traumas, natural disaster, bereavement, traffic collision, or other traumatic events on a person's life or well-being.
ShootoutA shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to describe combat situations primarily using firearms (generally excluding crew-served weapons, combat vehicles, armed aircraft, or explosives).
Self-defenseSelf-defense, or self-defence in Commonwealth English, is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many jurisdictions. Self-defense in the context of a home invasion or trespassing is also known as home defense. PhysicalPhysical self-defense is using physical force to counter an immediate threat of violence.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.