Two percent of Americans have been injured in a mass shooting, and 7% have been present for one, according to new research from CU Boulder. That means 1 in every 15 people have been at the scene of a mass shooting, defined as a singular event in which four or more people are shot.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, surveyed 10,000 adults. More than half of those who identified themselves as having been present for a mass shooting reported the incident occurred in the last decade. Gen Z — adults born after 1996 — are the most likely to have witnessed or been injured in a mass shooting.
“Our findings lend credence to the idea of a ‘mass shooting generation,’” said the study’s senior author, David Pyrooz, a professor of sociology and criminologist in the Institute for Behavioral Science at CU Boulder. “People who grew up in the aftermath of Columbine have these unique experiences that are really distinguishable from the older population.”
Mass shootings and active shooter situations in the U.S. have trended upward since 2001, according to data from the FBI, Pew Research Center and the Gun Violence Archive. They are a relatively small percentage of U.S. gun deaths, which also includes suicide (58% of all gun deaths), murder (38%) and accidental shootings (including the the 3% of “other” gun deaths alongside individuals shot and killed by law enforcement).
Guns have been the leading cause of death for American children since 2020, doubling between 2013 and 2021.
Help the government; join a board
Two local governments are recruiting for city citizen-staffed groups to advise on parks, transportation, housing and more. Time commitments vary, but many groups meet just once a month.
Longmont
Around 170 residents serve on 22 boards, commissions and committees. Half of those groups are currently recruiting, including advisory boards for the airport, museum, library and golf course, along with decision-making bodies like the planning and zoning commission and water board.
Applications close at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18. Learn more and apply: longmontcolorado.gov/boards-committees-and-commissions.
Lafayette
There are 10 open seats across five Lafayette boards and commissions dealing with arts and culture, open space, historic preservation, mental health and older adults.
Applications close Friday, March 21. Learn more and apply: lafayetteco.gov/245/Boards-Commissions-Committees.
Boulder’s application period closed Jan. 31. Appointments will be made at the March 20 council meeting.
In other news…
- Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will deliver an April 7 keynote address at the Conference of World Affairs (CWA). Tickets are available for free starting March 17.
CU Boulder students are encouraged to submit questions; an unspecified number will be selected to ask them live. The conference runs April 7-10 at CU Boulder.
- Superior has a new piece of public art. "Watcher & Seer," a five-foot, two-sided ceramic sculpture featuring an owl and a crow, has debuted at Superior Commons (2130 Creek View Way) along Coal Creek Trail, just east of the McCaslin underpass tunnel. It was created by artist Gregory Fields.