1 in 15 US adults have experienced a mass shooting: Study
A new study reveals that 1 in 15 U.S. adults, or about 7%, have been on the scene of a mass shooting. Two percent, meanwhile, have been injured during a mass shooting.
Younger generations, men, and Black Americans have disproportionately witnessed a mass shooting in their lifetime.
The Gun Violence Archive documented 4,917 mass shootings between 2015 and 2024, and an additional 47 in 2025, to date.
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A new study reveals that one in 15 U.S. adults, or about 7%, have been on the scene of a mass shooting. Two percent, meanwhile, have been injured during a mass shooting –– whether through being shot, trampled in the ensuing chaos, or experiencing related injuries.
A group of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder published their findings Friday, March 7, in JAMA Network Open. The team, led by David Pyrooz, a professor of sociology and a criminologist at the Institute for Behavioral Science at CU Boulder, surveyed 10,000 U.S. adults in January 2024 –– a month that tends to experience lower rates of mass shootings.
The ‘Mass Shooting Generation’
According to the study, younger generations, men, and Black people have disproportionately been on the scene of a mass shooting, which is defined as an incident where four or more people are shot with a firearm.
The numbers led researchers to identify a “mass shooting generation,” largely comprised of adults born after 1996.
“Our findings lend credence to the idea of a ‘mass shooting generation.’ People who grew up in the aftermath of Columbine have these unique experiences that are really distinguishable from the older population,” Pyrooz told phys.org.
Analyzing the numbers
Pyrooz said that while the numbers seem high, and he is not surprised by them, it’s important to remember how many people can be “physically present” at a single mass shooting event. He points to a 2017 shooting at a Las Vegas music festival, which hosted some 22,000 people, or roughly one out of every 11,000 Americans.
“Physically present,” as defined by the researchers, includes anyone “in the immediate vicinity of where the shooting occurred at the time it occurred, such that bullets were fired in your direction, you could see the shooter, or you could hear the gunfire.”
While an event such as a Las Vegas music festival will attract people from around the country, 75% of respondents said the mass shooting they experienced was in their local community, including bars or restaurants, schools, shopping centers and synagogues.
Mass shootings since 2015
The Gun Violence Archive documented 4,917 mass shootings –– also defined as a shooting involving four or more people –– between 2015 and 2024. To date, there have been 47 mass shootings in 2025.
In their paper, the authors write that their findings “underscore the extensive and often overlooked regular exposure to mass shootings in US society, which calls for targeted interventions designed to reduce violence.”
What comes next?
According to phys.org, while Pyrooz’s survey does not look at how mass shootings affect a survivor’s mental health, his team is currently working on a paper that will.
Nevertheless, Pyrooz said that experiencing a mass shooting is no longer a question of “if one will happen in your community…but when.”
“This study confirms that mass shootings are not isolated tragedies, but rather a reality that reaches a substantial portion of the population, with profound physical and psychological consequences,” Pyrooz said.
Credit card companies face competing state laws over gun store code
As of July 1, a California law requires credit card networks to give banks a code to track purchases at gun stores. On the same day, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee and Wyoming have laws taking effect that block the use of a gun shop code in those states.
Merchant category codes are meant to provide a global standard for financial transactions. But this reaction to a code for gun stores is anything but standardized.
“This is an effort to use the private sector to do an end run around the prohibition on the federal government’s building of a registry of gun owners,” Illinois gun shop owner Dan Eldridge told The Associated Press.
Merchant category codes (MCC) are used wherever people shop. Swipe a card at an antique store? That’s MCC 5932. Charge a visit to the dentist? That’s MCC 8021. According to Visa’s merchant data standards manual, guns and ammunition shops will sport MCC 5723.
“What we’re advocating for with this code is closing one of those exemptions where the gun industry is not treated like every other business, even though it should be,” said Hudson Munoz, the executive director of Guns Down America.
The four-digit code came about in 2022 after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted to add the unique ID. Credit card companies had been pushing back on it for years but the big ones appeared ready to accept the global standard.
Then came the lawmakers. Seventeen states have passed measures prohibiting or limiting the use of a gun store code, while California, Colorado and New York are in the process of requiring it.
At this point, California’s law simply requires credit card companies to provide the four-digit code to banks. California banks have until May 1, 2025, to decide which of their business clients are guns-and-ammunition shops and assign this code to them.
While Eldridge’s Illinois store is not yet impacted, Illinois’ attorney general has come out in support of the merchant code.
“How is an operation that crosses state lines, say a big box store or a chain of retailers, how are they supposed to comply with colliding state laws,” Eldridge questioned. “I don’t know how you do that.”
Straight Arrow News reached out to Visa, Mastercard and American Express to ask how they plan to abide by these competing state laws.
“We will only require use of the MCC where required by law. We are committed to complying with local legal requirements,” Mastercard told SAN in a statement.
Last year, Visa said, “These legislative actions disrupt the intent of global standards and create significant confusion and legal uncertainty in the payments ecosystem.”
Advocates for the merchant code hope banks can use it to flag suspicious buying behavior ahead of a mass shooting.
Guns Down America said in 2016, the Pulse nightclub shooter, who killed 49 people in Orlando, Florida, charged $26,000 on credit cards to buy guns and ammo in a 12-day span. In 2017, the Las Vegas shooter who killed 60 at a country music festival charged $94,000 on credit cards to buy guns and ammo over a 12-month period.
“Our hope and belief is that because of that oversight, we’ll see a decline in active shooter situations, and we’ll see the banking system closing its door to gun traffickers,” Munoz said.
But those against the code see it as a way to target law-abiding gun buyers.
“This is a normal, protected, lawful activity,” Eldridge said. “And to carve it out as something that needs to be identified and data-mined for evil really sets a very bad tone for how gun ownership, lawful gun ownership, is viewed, while simultaneously adding zero predictive value in its stated purpose of detecting patterns that the mass shooters may engage in.”
The code would not reveal to banks and credit cards what a person buys, only where they buy it. There’s no set standard for flagging what would be considered suspicious behavior.
For his part, Eldridge has put an ATM in his store for customers who’d prefer to pay in cash.
Bodycam footage released from the deadly UNLV shooting
Las Vegas police have released bodycam footage documenting the deadly shooting incident at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Dec. 6. Three professors lost their lives and a fourth sustained serious injuries. The suspect, Anthony Polito, was fatally shot by the police.
The victims are Naoko Takemaru, 69, an author and associate professor of Japanese studies; Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, an associate professor in the business school’s Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology department; and Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, an accounting professor focusing on research in cybersecurity disclosures and data analytics.
Reuters
The ongoing investigation is expected to yield additional video releases. Polito, armed with a 9 mm handgun and over 150 rounds, had been denied teaching positions at UNLV.
Authorities discovered a “target list” of faculty members from UNLV and East Carolina University, although none of the victims were named on it.
Polito’s motive for the attack remains undisclosed by the police.
Reuters
Police conducted a door-to-door search in the business school. A report of “shooting through the wall” was debunked by an officer, clarifying they were breaching doors with no shots fired.
Republican candidates square off in fourth debate: The Morning Rundown, Dec. 7, 2023
As the Republican field narrows, four presidential hopefuls take the debate stage for a fourth time. And, the U.S. military has grounded its entire fleet of Osprey aircraft following last week’s deadly crash. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
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With Haley rising in the polls and recently gaining the endorsement of the American for Prosperity advocacy group as well as news that billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn and Democrat donor Reid Hoffman recently gave $250,000 to a super PAC backing her, the former U.N. ambassador faced jabs early on.
DeSantis: “I have delivered results. That’s what we need for this country. You have other candidates up here like Nikki Haley; she caves any time the left comes after her. Any time the media comes after her.”
Ramaswamy decided to use a visual to make his case against Haley, writing on a notepad: “Nikki = corrupt.“
Ramaswamy: “After the third debate, when I criticized (Republican National Committee chair) Ronald McDaniel after five failed years of leadership in this party and criticized Nikki for her corrupt foreign dealings as a military contractor, she said I have a woman problem. I don’t have a woman problem. You have a corruption problem. I think that’s what people need to know. Nikki is corrupt. This is a woman who will send your kids to die so she can buy a bigger house.”
Christie took a different approach, defending Haley after earlier remarks from Ramaswamy, suggesting she couldn’t name provinces in Ukraine.
Christie: “We are now 25 minutes into this debate, and he has insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence. Not her positions, her basic intelligence. She wouldn’t be able to find something on a map that his 3-year-old could find. Look, if you want to disagree on issues, that’s fine. Nikki and I disagree on some issues. I’ve known her for 12 years, which is longer than he started to vote in a Republican primary. And while we disagree about some issues and we disagree about who should be president of the United States. What we don’t disagree on this is a smart, accomplished woman. You should stop insulting her.”
Haley responded to DeSantis and Ramaswamy’s attacks, saying they are jealous.
Haley: “There is nothing to what’s he’s saying. In terms of these donors, they are just jealous. They wish they were supporting them, but I’m not going to sit there and deny it.”
As for Trump, Christie said he was running to tell the truth about the former president, saying there is no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump, and criticized his fellow candidates for not talking more about the former president.
Russia sets March 2024 date for its election
As the United States prepares for a presidential election in 2024, on Thursday, Dec. 7, Russia announced plans for its own. By a unanimous vote, Russia’s Federation Council approved a date of March 17, 2024.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has not officially declared his intention to run again, he is expected to do so now that a date has been set. At 71 years old, Putin would be running for his fifth term in office, lasting six years.
One political analyst told the Associated Press, while others will run against Putin, the March vote will be more of a “ritual” than a competitive electoral election.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who supports additional aid for Ukraine, had urged Republican senators to vote against the bill until there are “meaningful changes to the border.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in a message to Congress, President Biden said he is willing to do “significantly more” on border security, but called out Republican senators, saying by not passing the bill, they are “willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for.”
Authorities have declined to identify the shooter to the public as of now, but law enforcement sources have told news outlets that he was a 67-year-old career college professor, who had connections to other universities and had applied for a position at UNLV but was not hired.
The identities of the victims have not been released. Police said the surviving gunshot victim, originally listed as critical, is now in stable condition. Shots rang out around 11:45 am local time in an academic building on campus where students were playing games and eating food.
According to officials, two university police detectives immediately engaged in a shootout with the suspect, killing him. A motive for the shooting is under investigation.
US military grounding all Osprey aircraft following fatal crash near Japan
Reuters reports, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, at least 50 military personnel have been killed in crashes involving the aircraft.
McDonald’s testing new restaurant concept
McDonald’s has unveiled plans for a new kind of restaurant, one they hope customers will think is out of this world. It is called CosMc’s, named after a McDonald’s alien mascot from the 1980s.
In its announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 6, McDonald’s said the small format concept will focus on unique beverages such as a churro frappe, a smores cold brew, or a sour cherry energy burst.
There will be food options as well. CosMc’s customers will be able to try a spicy queso sandwich or a creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich. The restaurants will feature multiple drive-thru lanes. The first CosMc’s location will open later this month in Illinois. McDonald’s hopes to open 10 by the end of 2024.
PM rundown: Sen. Sasse steps down, Iran executes more protesters
An outgoing senator leaves a Senate vacancy to fill; a ban on bump stocks has been struck down by an appeals court; and children who are obese are now recommended to take weight-loss medication. These stories and more highlight your midday rundown for Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
Sen. Ben Sasse steps down
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska officially resigned from his post on Sunday. He leaves the seat up for grabs, which Nebraska’s governor will appoint someone to fill.
The top prospect for the position right now is former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. Sen. Sasse is leaving the Senate to become president at the University of Florida.
Court overturns bump stock ban
A federal appeals court has struck down a ban on bump stocks, a firearm accessory that allows a semi-automatic gun to shoot more quickly.
Bump stocks were banned by former President Donald Trump following the 2017 massacre in Las Vegas where a gunman shot and killed 58 people using rifles with bump stocks.
The appeals court voted bump stocks are legal because they don’t technically fit the definition of what a machine gun is. Machine guns are banned.
The decision doesn’t have an immediate effect on the ban because the case now moves back to the lower court to decide how to proceed. The Biden administration could take the case to the Supreme Court.
Medication, surgery for obese children
For the first time ever the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending children with obesity take medication to lose weight. In some severe cases, doctors are also recommending children have fat removal surgery.
It’s a controversial step to try and combat childhood obesity, which affects more than 14 million children. One out of every three children are now overweight or obese.
Doctors are now recommending children 12 years or older take medications to lose weight. Some come in the form of pills, others are weekly injections. In severe cases, children ages 13 years or older can now receive referrals for weight-loss surgeries.
The academy says these options are on top of already suggested diet changes and exercise routines. They say without dramatic intervention, these children could develop high blood pressure, diabetes, and other life-long health issues.
Iran executes more protesters
Protests in Iran have been ongoing since September, and the Iranian government is not letting up despite the outcries from Iran’s people. After several controversial executions, Iran hanged two more protesters over the weekend.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, two men were “wrongfully hanged” for protesting the Iranian government on Saturday. They called the executions “shocking” and the trials “unfair” and said they were based on forced confessions.
Iran is receiving international condemnation.
The government has arrested nearly 20,000 protesters, more than 100 of them facing a death sentence, and already killing four. Iran’s leader has shown no signs of letting up and neither have the Iranian people who are still in protest.
Comet to be seen with naked eye
Get your binoculars ready and mark your calendar for this Thursday. A chance of a lifetime is sailing into our inner solar system.
On Thursday, you could get a rare glimpse of a comet that hasn’t been seen with the naked eye since the last ice age. It has been in hiding for more than 50,000 years. Now, it’s your chance to witness the comet as it heads towards the sun and Earth. And while it might be close enough for people to see, it will still be 26 million miles away.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, R, will be the next governor of Nevada. Lombardo defeated incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak, D, in a tight race.
Gov. Sisolak flipped the seat in 2018. He served on the Nevada Board of Regents and then as the chairman of the Clark County Commission. His win as governor gave Democrats control of the assembly, Senate and governor’s mansion in Nevada for the first time since 1992.
Sheriff Lombardo has a history of service. He served in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve. Lombardo spent 26 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department before being elected Clark County sheriff in 2014.
But while the candidates were opponents in this race, they stood side by side in the wake of theLas Vegas mass shooting. The massacre in October 2017 left 60 people dead and more than 850 wounded. Together, they helped carry Clark County through the tragedy in part by starting a fund for victims that raised millions of dollars.
In the lead up to the election, crime had been a great concern to voters around the country. Polls showed that for the most part, voters trusted Republicans to better handle the issue. In Nevada, however, Gov. Sisolak’s team tried to turn that around on Sheriff Lombardo, saying crime rose in Clark County under his watch. Lombardo admitted crime increased over the last two years but said he did all he could with the funding and mandates he received from a Democrat-controlled legislature.
Lombardo, meanwhile, attacked Gov. Sisolak for the state hiring a coronavirus testing company based in Chicago that missed 96% of the positive cases from the University of Nevada in Reno. Sisolak defended fast-tracking the contract and said the company was licensed by the federal government.
