Study found that 7% of Americans have been present at a scene of a mass shooting and 2% had been injured in one

Summary

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder finds that 7% of U.S. adults have witnessed a mass shooting, and over 2% have been injured in one.

Researchers define mass shootings as incidents where four or more people are shot in public spaces. With nearly 5,000 such events since 2014, experts stress the need for public health strategies to address the psychological and physical impacts.

The study highlights how mass shootings are not isolated events but a widespread issue affecting millions of Americans.

  • @NarrativeBear
    6•1 day ago

    That’s not really how statistics work.

    For example, 1 in 10 dentists recommended a specific brand of toothpaste.

    You could know 10 dentists in your town and not one of them recommends that specific toothpaste. But in another town 2 out of 10 might. This means between both towns you are left with a 1 out of 10 average.

    1/10 is equal to 2/20 = 10%

    So, if one town might have a really high shooting rate and 100% of the residents in that town were witnesses and the next town over had no shootings at all.

    If we assume both towns have the same number of residents we would be left with a 50% of all residents in the area are witnesses to a shooting. This means if you lived in the town with no shooting and were told 50% of residents were witnesses you would not be able to find a single person to confirm the theory. Even if you knew everyone in your specific town.