Tragic mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, have horrified the nation this month. Though Louisiana’s shootings haven’t made headlines the same way, data from one organization indicates the state leads the nation in mass shootings this year.
Data from the Gun Violence Archive non-profit organization cited by WGNO indicates Louisiana has the highest number of mass shootings per capita in the nation at 3.44 shootings per 1 million residents. Overall, the outlet said the national average is .56 mass shootings per 1 million residents.
“GVA uses a purely statistical threshold to define mass shooting based ONLY on the numeric value of 4 or more shot or killed, not including the shooter,” said the organization of its methodology. “GVA does not parse the definition to remove any subcategory of shooting.”
According to the organization the Federal Bureau of Investigation defines a “mass murder” as an incident where at least four people are killed. However, GVA said that the bureau does not have a definition for mass shootings.
All of the states GVA data indicates had the highest number of shootings per capita as of May 28 this year were in the South, according to WGNO. South Carolina came in second with a rate of 1.95 per million, Mississippi came in third with a rate of 1.69 per million, Arkansas came in fourth with a rate of 1.33 per million and Alabama came in fifth with a rate of 1.19 per million.
Data regarding 16 shootings identified in Louisiana this year has been compiled by the archive, which pulls information from 7,500 law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources daily.
A report from CBS News citing GVA data also found that Louisiana had the highest rate of mass shootings per capita from September 2018 through May 24 of this year at 11.3 people killed and injured per 100,000. That report found that Louisiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio had the highest mass shooting rates.
While there have been a significant number of mass shootings in Louisiana so far in 2022, less than half have led to fatalities. These include: a Feb. 25 shooting in Baton Rouge, an April 2 incident in Shreveport, an April incident in Monroe, an April 27 incident in Opelousas and two incidents this month in New Orleans.
Overall, the archive listed nine deaths and 76 injuries in Louisiana from Jan. 1 through May 27 due to mass shootings.
Although incidents with high fatalities, such as the Buffalo shooting that claimed 10 lives and the Uvalde shooting that claimed 21 people, mostly children, are particularly alarming, the Gun Violence Archive believes it is important to give “equal importance,” to counting injuries and fatalities from mass shootings.
GVA’s goal is to “provide comprehensive data for the national conversation regarding gun violence,” said the organization.
Related
Related
