Report: Half of US Mass Attacks Motivated By Grievances

    Photo: AFP/Getty Images [via Axios]

    The Facts

    • A report issued on Wednesday by the US Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) found that half of the mass attacks in the US from 2016 to 2020 were sparked by personal, domestic, or workplace disputes.

    • It also highlighted that most attackers had experienced a significant personal challenge — financial, family, and health issues — in the year before they committed mass violence, with nearly two-thirds having a criminal history.


    The Spin

    Left narrative

    While each attack has a unique motive ranging from workplace disputes to mental health issues and hateful ideologies, it is indisputable that the widespread availability of firearms in the US is behind the country's epidemic of mass shootings. Given America's deep-rooted suspicion of authority and the inability of its political system to tackle this problem, there is little reason to believe that mass shootings will subside.

    Right narrative

    Despite homicides and gun ownership decreasing since the 1960s, mass attacks have been trending upward due to the erosion of traditional values and the social structure in the US. Liberals have turned US culture toxic by causing a harmful plunge in two-parent households, divisive gender issues, and excusing individuals from responsibility.


    Political split

    LEFT

    RIGHT

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