Mass Killers Argumentative Analysis

Various studies have been conducted on numerous aspects considering mass shooters, the most prominent focusing on why shooters perform these tragedies, and what can be put in place to avoid these shootings. However, not everyone has agreed with each other when it comes to solutions, and they see issues with laws that may be set in place. The source of the issue is hard to localize, because there are many different characteristics apparent in mass perpetrators--there is no one thing that can link every single perpetrator together--hence the reason there are conflicting views. Some have taken the perspective that there is no way we can solve these problems with a single piece of legislation, while others believe red flag laws can prove effective

For one, Devin P. Kelley, who had assaulted both his wife and stepson before committing a shooting in Suther Springs, Texas. This link, while not as complex as the mental illness one, shows that it would be a good idea to look into someone’s past violence. Victor includes a quote from Paul Gill, from University College London which explains this pretty well, stating “‘Having a history of violence might help neutralize the natural barriers to committing violence’” (). Next, Victor writes about the sense of grievance found within the perpetrators. In his article, he states, “Mass killers often believe they have been wronged, whether by an individual, a corporation or demographic group” (). For instance, Elliot Rodger had felt he had been wronged by women. He thought they purposely avoided him and did not like him, which had driven him to kill six people. Lastly, Victor had written about the desire for notoriety within killers. Within his article he writes about Columbine High School shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who killed 13 in 1999. During the shooting, they can be heard saying “‘directors will be fighting over this story,’” which shows that they were not only doing this