Gun violence researchers have begun to notice this disturbing trend of mass shooting events seemingly inspiring others to do the same as another two weeks after the tragic events in Colorado, a man walked into a FedEx facility near Indianapolis International Airport and took the lives of eight people before turning the gun on himself.
Research shows a ‘contagion effect’ as when news of these mass shootings hit our television screens, we are seeing more and more of a strong copycat phenomenon.
Even with this worrying increase in mass shootings, Congress has still shown little appetite for passing any reforms to existing gun laws.
However, with a new president sitting behind the Resolute Desk, there is renewed hope for gun control proponents as President Biden seems to be the first Commander in Chief for decades to really take this issue seriously, describing recent events as ‘a public health crisis’ and that “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and a national embarrassment.”
