The occurrence of mass shootings and acts of terrorism have become increasingly common in the United States since the twenty-first century. Since 2000, thousands of United States citizens have died as a direct result of mass shootings and acts of terrorism. However, despite the striking similarities in the motives and damage engendered by these crimes, there are significant discrepancies between the classifications and punishments for the crimes. Depending on the crime, state or federal governments determine the way each incident is managed including the charges brought against the perpetrator, the process he or she goes through to be convicted, and subsequently the penalty the person faces for committing either crime. Though similar in nature
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However, in July of 2015 a Congressional Research Service Project defined a mass shooting as “a multiple homicide incident in which four or more victims are murdered with firearms, within one event, and in one or more locations in close proximity.” (Nichols). Being that only four casualties must occur for a crime to be defined as a mass shooting, gang related shootings, domestic disputes, home invasions, or robberies could all qualify as mass shootings. By use of this definition, records show that over 1,000 Americans have fallen victim to mass shootings in the last eighteen years. The Federal Bureau of Investigations released a report in September of 2014 showing the substantial increase in the number of mass shootings per year. The report noted that there was an average of 16.4 shootings per year from 2007 to 2013 compared to 6.4 shootings per year from 2000 to 2006 (U.S. Dept. of Justice Report). Since mass shootings in the United States fall under such a broad spectrum, it is nearly impossible to keep track of all the incidents that actually do occur in the United States. Mass shootings produce a huge risk to the security of American citizens in the United States. The growing popularity of such events and the magnitude of their destruction calls for a revaluation of the way these crimes are classified and subsequently
However, in July of 2015 a Congressional Research Service Project defined a mass shooting as “a multiple homicide incident in which four or more victims are murdered with firearms, within one event, and in one or more locations in close proximity.” (Nichols). Being that only four casualties must occur for a crime to be defined as a mass shooting, gang related shootings, domestic disputes, home invasions, or robberies could all qualify as mass shootings. By use of this definition, records show that over 1,000 Americans have fallen victim to mass shootings in the last eighteen years. The Federal Bureau of Investigations released a report in September of 2014 showing the substantial increase in the number of mass shootings per year. The report noted that there was an average of 16.4 shootings per year from 2007 to 2013 compared to 6.4 shootings per year from 2000 to 2006 (U.S. Dept. of Justice Report). Since mass shootings in the United States fall under such a broad spectrum, it is nearly impossible to keep track of all the incidents that actually do occur in the United States. Mass shootings produce a huge risk to the security of American citizens in the United States. The growing popularity of such events and the magnitude of their destruction calls for a revaluation of the way these crimes are classified and subsequently