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Brenda

(1,817 posts)
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:33 PM 10 hrs ago

How many mass shooters are active or former US military?

Another question: How many mass shooters are male?

Seems like a pattern.

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Irish_Dem

(75,383 posts)
1. Angry young white males.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:36 PM
10 hrs ago

This is the group killing us.
Should they be called a terrorist group?

Skittles

(167,728 posts)
4. all the "crisis in masculinity" posts
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:52 PM
10 hrs ago

there's nothing new about these freaks, there's just more of them because they cannot handle a changing world

and YES they are far more dangerous than "Antifa"

Ritabert

(1,671 posts)
2. Well the LDS shooting in Michigan and the waterfront bar shooting in NC were both veterans
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:45 PM
10 hrs ago

BluesRunTheGame

(1,876 posts)
3. Most former US military aren't killing people.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:51 PM
10 hrs ago

Most males aren’t killing people.

Stop peddling prejudice.

Brenda

(1,817 posts)
5. Bullshit
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 06:59 PM
9 hrs ago

1. I didn't say that most former US military are killing people.
2. I didn't say that most males are killing people.

I asked for the statistics about mass shootings in America.

Stop lying about what I posted.

BluesRunTheGame

(1,876 posts)
8. When you get your "statistics" be sure they include the percentage...
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:07 PM
9 hrs ago

….of former military and males who are NOT killing people.

Certain types of posters like to misuse “statistics” to bash groups they don’t like.

AZProgressive

(29,736 posts)
7. I don't think it was that
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:05 PM
9 hrs ago

I doubt being active or former military has a lot to do with mass shootings but over 90% are mass shootings are committed by males while a lot of other things are blamed for what happened especially from the right wing.

A lot of former military have mental illness due to deploying into war zones and I'm one of those myself but mental illness is a common narrative after mass shootings even though those with a mental illness are actually more likely to be victims of violence than the rest of the population. Not saying violence is never committed by those with SMI but when it happens those stories are often sensationalized by the media.

usonian

(20,874 posts)
6. Results vary. The number seems between 3 and 26% compared to 7% of adult population.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:00 PM
9 hrs ago

ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/US/link-veterans-mass-shootings-complicated/story?id=59057321
Somewhat noncommital


Van Dahlen was quick to point to the fact that veterans who become mass shooters are anomalies -- as are mass shooters within the larger population


Gunzone (a gun site)
https://thegunzone.com/how-many-us-mass-shootings-were-perpetrated-by-ex-military-personnel/

They say between 3 and 8 percent of shooters are ex-military.


CBS News
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-many-mass-shooters-military-134739547.html

CBS News analyzed a database compiled by The Violence Project. The nonprofit tracks mass shootings, which it defines as four or more people murdered in one event, not including the offender. It shows out of 195 mass shootings since 1966, 50 involved suspects who were veterans or people with military training.

To be clear, only a tiny fraction of people with military backgrounds become mass shooters. But military experience is something a disproportionate share of attackers have in common.

A CBS News analysis of the data shows 26% of mass shooters over six decades have had military service or training. That is high compared to the general U.S. adult population, where 7%, or fewer than 1 in 10, has a military background, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

...

"Not all of them were deployed, and some of them only went through basic training, but they do have that throughline (military connection) in their histories," Densley said. "We actually have 14 or 15 mass shooters in our database that were marksmen or snipers in the military. I think there's some skills that are learned in the military, which may lend themselves then to mass shootings that follow. So, for instance, proficiency with firearms."



This turned up on a web search.
DU ranks highly on web searches (not named Google)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220682127

Brenda

(1,817 posts)
9. Odd wording
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:10 PM
9 hrs ago
CBS News analyzed a database compiled by The Violence Project. The nonprofit tracks mass shootings, which it defines as four or more people murdered in one event, not including the offender. It shows out of 195 mass shootings since 1966, 50 involved suspects who were veterans or people with military training.

To be clear, only a tiny fraction of people with military backgrounds become mass shooters. But military experience is something a disproportionate share of attackers have in common.

The first paragraph sounds like it's about 25% but goes on to say is something they have in common.

And what about all those young boys spending half their waking hours on violent military games?

Isn't that some kind of pseudo military training?

Warrior Ethos Crap?

usonian

(20,874 posts)
11. Talk to some veterans, please.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:41 PM
9 hrs ago

To me, a pacifist and a veteran, the root problem is a culture that pits one against another, and TBH, on totally meaningless grounds. Idiot politics or dogma and the usual manipulative garbage. Mostly racism and so on and so on.

The problem is rooted in an adversarial culture.

I have posted on this and will continue to post on this. I saved up a raft of great articles to share on this topic.

When people oppose others, the matter of weapon is whatever the culture tolerates (or even promotes)

Other countries have very low gun violence rates.

Games, by their nature are "me or you".
Many sports are excessively violent.

I suggest reading "Finite and Infinite Games" by James Carse.
I have read a lot about pervasive games (non-violent) and cooperative games.
But the culture promotes others.

Be part of a cultural change.
The NRA turned a mostly peaceful nation into an armed mob.
They did it for the money.

Money talks, when wise people don't.






haele

(14,635 posts)
15. Like police officers and that BS "Kill-oligy" training the Police Unions have been pushing...
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 11:02 PM
5 hrs ago

For at least 20 years.
The trainers all called themselves "ex-military" as if it was some sort of justification. Most of them were probably encouraged not to reenlist or went the mercenary route.
In the military, the counter insurgency training for active/in country soldiers midway through Shrub II's Iraq adventure was provided mercenary groups - Blackwater, mainly - because Rumsfeld thought we were moving too cautiously due to the UCMJ, so a lot of soldiers were exposed to the "kill them all and let Gawd sort them out" attitude that did nothing to help the mission or pacify the local populations to reduce attacks on the troops.
It really screwed with a lot of young men's minds.

pecosbob

(8,106 posts)
13. Bottom line is many veterans have problems after leaving service. Anytime you send young men to kill other young men...
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 10:22 PM
6 hrs ago

The Russians are currently experiencing a cataclysm of returning veteran violence. Many were in prison before being released to fight in Ukraine. Extortion, robbery, murder, new gangs...the works. This is the result of sending young men into harm's way. Best that you can do is try to help them adjust instead of just dumping them on the street with a few bucks in their pocket. Or even better yet, don't start wars.

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