Report finds that 7% of Americans have been present at the scene of a mass shooting and 2% have been injured in one

Summary

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder finds that 7% of U.S. adults have witnessed a mass shooting, and over 2% have been injured in one.

Researchers define mass shootings as incidents where four or more people are shot in public spaces. With nearly 5,000 such events since 2014, experts stress the need for public health strategies to address the psychological and physical impacts.

The study highlights how mass shootings are not isolated events but a widespread issue affecting millions of Americans.

  • nick@midwest.social
    2·
    11 days ago

    That’s seems high. I know way more than 15 people and none of them have seen a mass shooting

    • Maslo@lemmynsfw.com
      4·
      11 days ago

      Depressing counterpoint: some people know a whole schools worth of people who has seen a mass shooting.

        • Owl@lemm.eeEnglish
          0·
          10 days ago

          considering theres an average of 1 school shooting per week and another couple hundred of mass shootings per year in america, it seems quite believable to me, especially since one shooting can have hundreds of witnesses.

          • clove@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            1·
            10 days ago

            I mean do those numbers add up? Even at one per week, that’s like 52 per year on average? Each of em would have to have 10s of millions to add up to 1/15 of US population.

            • Owl@lemm.eeEnglish
              0·
              10 days ago

              well, lets assume we only count school shootings, the average school having 500+ students, each year there should around be +25.000 people who have witnessed a school shooting. the average age being 40 in america you can increase that number to lets say 1mil people who have witnessed a school shooting, as a gross estimate. yeah 1/15th is gonna be tough to reach even if you added all other mass shootings as i doubt they have 500+ witnesses each time. youre probably right

              • anomnom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                1·
                9 days ago

                Not of it’s over an average lifespan, or even just adulthood. 50 years of mass shootings gets us a lot closer to 1/15th, even assuming some of the people have witnessed more than one.

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      1·
      11 days ago

      Respondents were asked: “Have you personally ever been physically present on the scene of a mass shooting in your lifetime?”

      Unfortunately, it’s a self-reported study. While there is a lot of math used in self-reporting to account for people who lie or misunderstand the question, the results likely aren’t reproducible.

      Self-reported studies can be helpful in some ways but they have deep limitations on accuracy as opposed to “feels.”

      Arguably, without mass surveillance and access to data from mass surveillance, there really isn’t another good way to find out who was in physical proximity to a mass shooting other than self-reporting.

    • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zipEnglish
      0·
      11 days ago

      Hi, my name is sp3ctr4l, good to meet you!

      A few years back, I was walking along a sidewalk, heading home from a bar, approaching within 100 feet of a group of people.

      But, before I got too close, a car came screaming down the road from in front of me, and then slowed way down as it got parallel with the group.

      … And then a krink (AK pistol) emerged from a window, magazine emptied, whole lot of blood curdling screaming and possibly some return fire (sounded like a different caliber) as I dove through some hedges for cover.

      Thats a mass shooting, I could have been shot, perhaps now maybe you could say you know me.