Year of the gun: more active shootings in US in 2017 than any other year since records began, says FBI
A total of 138 people were killed in the incidents, the first time the death toll has risen above 90 for a single year
The violence last year helped break two grim records when it comes to active shooters: the most incidents and the most people killed in any one year since at least 2000, the first year the FBI has data on the subject.
The 17-year high was revealed in a new report released by the bureau that delves into active shootings throughout 2016 and 2017, the gunmen and the carnage that is left behind. In 2017, there were 30 active shooting incidents across America. A total of 138 people were killed in the shootings, the first time a death toll has risen above 90 for a single year.
“Am I surprised by the increase? No,” said former FBI Agent James Gagliano. He said the rise could be blamed on a number of things, including video games, accessibility to guns, copycats, the news cycle and the internet.
“Part of it is these individuals who see one gunman on the news and the think, ‘Wow, if they did this, I can do it, too,’” he said. “It’s a vicious circle and for the most part after these incidents, nothing changes. We all retreat to our corners and bicker.”
