Guns don't cause school shootings, the media does...

[CCWFacts]

I'm kinda torn on the idea of withholding information such as crazy-badguy-shooting rampages from the public. Yes, I believe if you didn't publish them you would most likely see a significant decline in copycat shootings. On the other hand people need to be informed of what's going on in their communities. You will never get a cohesive community willing to do what it takes to protect themselves and their town if they don't know what's going on.

The CDC article I linked to has guidelines for how to report this stuff. Obsessive front-page national coverage which runs it as the leading story with lots of details and sensationalism for 4 days is exactly the wrong way to report it, and that's exactly how our media does cover it. The news shouldn't be withheld but it can be covered in a way that will be less likely to promote copycats. That means less focus on the killer, less details about how he did it, not analyzing his motives or goals, not on the front page, not repeated coverage, little or no national coverage.

This should all be part of news ethics, just like they have ethics that restrict if and how they report suicides.

[virulosity]

This doesn't make any sense!!! How are people getting shot in "gun free" zones??? The law instantly protects you when you are in a gun free school zone

[1911su16b870]

IMO the sensationalism of capitalist (because bad news sells) news media contributes to the shootings. Why talk about the criminal who did the violence at all? He wants to be immortalized and the media does that for the kooks.

Secondly part blame rests with the degree of violence portrayed in the movies and video games. A long time ago, I quit playing the game Doom because I realized I was a total agro jerk driving my car after playing it. Now many say they can take the violence and it doesn't affect them...I don't buy that. The crazies can't make the distinction between reality and fantasy.

Lastly, it appears we are entering another wild west cycle here in the US. That calls for dedicated or volunteer response teams on our campuses as well as shall issue CCW sounds like a good way to provide that rapidly. No one can combat the evil of these violent crooks faster that someone who is there and CCW-ing.