Statistically, the shooter in a mass shooting is almost certain to be a man with a documented history of violence or threatened violence against women. Domestic violence is one of the strongest indicators of mass shootings: A Huffington post analysis reports 57 percent of mass shootings (defined as four or more people killed with a gun) between July 2009 and July 2015 in the United States, were shooters who targeted a family member or an intimate partner. When Everytown for Gun Safety, a group advocating for gun control, analyzed F.B.I. data on mass shootings from 2009 to 2015, the results showed 57 percent of the cases included a spouse, former spouse or other family member among the victims, and that 16 percent of the attackers had previously been charged with domestic violence.
There has never been a more important time to renew the Violence Against Women Act, which will prevent abusive men and women from accessing a firearm and will empower victims to live and thrive free from their abusers. Will you call your Senator today and demand the VAWA be renewed?
Dayton, Ohio: The shooter exhibited violent behavior toward women, including an abusive fixation on an ex girlfriend and a "hit list" of students he planned to target, specifically signaling out the female list as the "rape list."
Thousand Oaks, California: The shooter was accused of abusing his elderly mother.
Chicago Mercy Hospital: The shooter targeted his ex-fiancee, and shot a pharmacist and police officer in the process.
Sandy Hook, Connecticut: The shooter threatened to kill his mother years before he gunned her and 26 other people down at an elementary school.
Pulse Nightclub: The wife of the shooter was allegedly physically abusive towards his ex-wife, to the point that she feared for her life and her family had to "rescue her from him."
Sutherland Springs: The shooter had a prior domestic violence conviction.
Shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise: The shooter had a domestic battery conviction and discharge of a firearm.
... and countless more.
There has never been a more important time to renew the Violence Against Women Act, which will prevent abusive men and women from accessing a firearm and will empower victims to live and thrive free from their abusers. Will you call your Senator today and demand the VAWA be renewed?