More Than 125 Dead, 225 Wounded in Dozens of Mass Shootings in 2010

Dec 30, 2010

Washington, D.C. – In the past year, more than 125 people have been killed and 225 wounded in mass shootings according to a compilation of 68 such shootings issued today by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.  Ordinary Americans, with no known criminal record, have been involved in some of the worst mass shootings this past year.  The victims include infants and grandparents, family members and strangers, colleagues and police officers.

“Our weak gun laws make it too easy for disgruntled, depressed, and dangerous people to arm themselves and settle their disputes or delusions with lethal weapons,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign.  “Every year we have 30,000 dead and another 70,000 injured due to gun violence. These are children who won’t live to go to kindergarten, grandparents who won’t be around for the holidays, parents whose absence will create long-lasting trauma in the lives of the children they were forced to leave behind.”

As challenging as the problem of gun violence is, there are solutions. “We need better background checks, stronger laws to combat gun trafficking, and tighter restrictions on military-style assault weapons and who can legally carry concealed weapons,” added Helmke. “We also need more emphasis on the risks and responsibilities of gun ownership.”

Over the past year, the Brady Campaign has monitored available news coverage of dozens of mass shooting incidents.  The shootings included in the list involve at least four victims who were shot in the same incident.  The full mass shootings list from 2010 can be accessed at http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/pdf/facts/mass-shootings-2010.pdf.

Many of the shootings that had the greatest number of victims and received the most media attention were shootings by disgruntled people, often at their workplaces. Those examples are below. In addition, a report just released about police murders for 2010 found that the killings increased by 20 percent, included 10 multiple-murders, representing a disturbing trend.

“A more brazen, cold-blooded criminal element is on the prowl in America, and they don’t think twice about killing a cop,” observed Craig W. Floyd, chair of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).  

Helmke added, “We as a society must ask ourselves and ask our elected leaders: Why do we make it so easy for people to wreak havoc with guns, ruin families and lives, and undermine the safety of our homes, workplaces, and communities?” 

Examples of some of the mass shooting incidents that attracted attention this year were:

· St. Louis, MO ۰ 1/7/10.  A 51-year-old man opened fire at the ABB Power plant where he worked, killing three co-workers and injuring five others, before killing himself.  The shooter had sued his employer over their pension fund in 2006 and the trial had just begun that week.. The shooter fired over 100 rounds and was armed with an assault rifle, a shotgun, and two handguns.

· Appomattox, VA ۰ 1/19/10.  A 39-year-old man shot and killed his sister, her husband, their two children, and four family friends in and around the family home.  The man also shot at police with an assault rifle when they arrived at the scene, and even shot a police helicopter six times, bringing it down. The shooter, who first obtained a concealed carry permit in 1995, and owned dozens of weapons, including “many” AR-15 assault rifles was badly affected by his mother’s death in 2006 and had reportedly become angry about ownership of the family house and land that was left jointly to him and his sister.

· Huntsville, AL ۰ 2/12/10.  A professor opened fire 50 minutes into a Biological Sciences Department faculty meeting at the University of Alabama, killing three colleagues and wounding three others. The shooter had a history of violence: she shot and killed her brother in 1986, was possibly involved in an attempted mail bombing, and was convicted of disorderly conduct, and assault and battery in an incident in 2002.  The gun used in shooting was bought from the shooter’s husband in 1989 by a friend in New Hampshire to avoid a waiting period in Massachusetts.

· West Memphis, AK ۰ 5/20/10.  A man and his 16-year-old son opened fired on police officers with assault weapons during a traffic stop, and then again in a shootout when police tried to apprehend them after the first shooting.  The two officers involved in the traffic stop were killed and two officers in the second shootout were injured; the two suspects were killed by police in the second shootout.  The adult suspect had multiple run-ins with the law, and was considered a threat to law enforcement before the shooting happened.

· Hartford, CT ۰ 8/3/10.  A disgruntled employee, who claimed he had been harassed because he was African-American, opened fire at the beer distribution factory where he worked.  He had just attended a disciplinary hearing relating to his theft of beer from the company before the shooting.  He killed eight people and injured two before calling his girlfriend and then taking his own life.

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The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizens' lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, empowering the American people to hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

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