|
The
attackers were overwhelmingly men, often with histories of
mental health symptoms, financial insecurity or engaging in
domestic violence. Guns were typically the weapon of choice.
The report comes days after a pair of mass shootings in
California took the lives of 18 people and as authorities
searched for motives in the attacks, both linked to older men.
Mass shootings have become a regular occurrence in the United
States in recent decades, but lawmakers remain divided on the
solutions, with Democrats calling for more gun control measures
while Republicans focus on mental health and increased security.
The 70-page report, issued on Wednesday by the Secret Service's
National Threat Assessment Center, examined 173 incidents where
three or more people were harmed. The attacks targeted
workplaces, schools, religious institutions and public
transportation, among other locations, killing 513 people and
injuring 1,234.
Lina Alathari, the center's chief, told reporters that it is
common to see behaviors among perpetrators that might have
helped others identify a problem beforehand.
"Interest in violence, interest in previous mass attackers,
posting about them, talking to people about them, bringing a
weapon to [their] workplace, bringing a weapon to school,
coworkers fearing them, grievances," she said. "These are themes
that we do see over and over again."
The report found that firearms were used in 73% of incidents,
including by some prohibited from owning them.
State-level "red flag laws" that allow for the court-ordered
removal of guns from someone presenting a risk could limit such
attacks, the report said.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone
and David Gregorio)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
