G.O.P. Candidates and Mass Shootings

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. Ah, I see. Here is a good source.

This is easier to find...no data sifting required. I did find some data on multiple victim homicides while looking. Figures 36 and 37 of this report show that multiple victim homicides constitute less than one percent (3 or more victims) and between 3 and 4 percent (2 victims) in any given year from 1980 to 2008.

This same research (from the Bureau of Justice Statistics - www.bjs.gov) shows that 65.5% of all homicides are committed by people in the 18-34 age range and that drug and gang association is present in 76.4% and 70.2% of these crimes, respectively (obviously there is overlap). FWIW, male offenders outnumber female offenders by about 10-to-1.

The drug and gang association drops off considerably for any other age bracket. It's still there in fairly significant numbers for the 35-49 bracket, but constitute a minority. Drug and gang involvement for other brackets, lower and higher alike, is minimal.

Given that about 2/3 of homicides are perpetrated by the bracket with a fairly significant majority gang and drug involvement in those crimes, I think I'm correct in stating that those factors are present in most such deaths. But not, I should point out, by a huge margin...