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DeWayne Craddock, the Virginia Beach mass shooter, enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in April 1996 and served for 17 years. Increasingly seems the most predictive trait for mass shooters is not race or religion, but a military/law enforcement background. (And gender: male)
Don't believe me?
Ian David Long (2018): Marine, Afghanistan war vet
Nikolas Cruz (2018): High school Army ROTC
Devin Patrick Kelley (2017): Air Force
Stephen Paddock (2017): Worked for Defense Dept., Lockheed Martin
Omar Mateen (2016): Private security guard, wanted to be a cop
Ian David Long (2018): Marine, Afghanistan war vet
Nikolas Cruz (2018): High school Army ROTC
Devin Patrick Kelley (2017): Air Force
Stephen Paddock (2017): Worked for Defense Dept., Lockheed Martin
Omar Mateen (2016): Private security guard, wanted to be a cop
Aaron Alexis (2013): Navy
I could go on. Obviously not everyone who serves in the military or law enforcement is prone to committing indiscriminate mass murder. But if you think the prominence of this in American cultural life is not a salient factor, you're deluding yourself
I could go on. Obviously not everyone who serves in the military or law enforcement is prone to committing indiscriminate mass murder. But if you think the prominence of this in American cultural life is not a salient factor, you're deluding yourself
And obviously you can name exceptions. Adam Lanza maybe being the most prominent example. But when a high-casualty mass shooting occurs, there's always a decent likelihood that the perpetrator will end up having had some kind of military or law enforcement background
