A Nation Under Siege Due to Mass Shootings

University of Alabama criminology professor Adam Lankford's international research on gun ownership comes to the conclusion that "the only variable that can explain the high rate of mass shootings in America is its astronomical number of guns" ("What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? International Comparisons Suggest an Answer," The New York Times, November 7, 2017).

Review selected hard copy/online library books related to mass shootings at LSC-CyFair Branch Library. Click the title of a listed item, select the "Place Hold" button in the listing, and enter your library card number and PIN for each title you want to request for pick up at the library.

Use these subject words and phrases to find more information in the library catalog:

• firearms crime
• firearms law
• firearms ownership
• gun control
• mass murder
• violent crimes

Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook by Gregg Lee Carter

ABC-CLIO, 2017
call number: 363.33 Car

This title "provides a balanced view of the contemporary gun debate in the United States, explaining the positions of both gun rights proponents and advocates of stricter gun control without demonizing either and . . . presents current and historical data on U.S. gun violence--including homicides, suicides, and accidental shoots--and places these numbers against international statistics on gun violence, thereby providing the context to enable readers to reach their own opinion on the gun debate." - publisher's summary excerpt

Mass Shootings: Media, Myths, and Realities by H. Jaymi Elsass and Jaclyn Schildkraut
Praeger, 2016
call number: 364.152 Sch

"This book provides readers and researchers with a critical examination of mass shootings. . .
* Tackles common misconceptions about mass shootings perpetrated by and through the media and provides information that grounds the realities of such events in empirical evidence
* Explores the history of mass shootings, both before and after the infamous 1999 Columbine High School event and shootings that occurred in and out of schools
* Addresses common myths associated with mass shooting events by the media, such as how often and where they occur and the absence of any warning signs
* Helps readers understand the realities of these events, including their international reach, the potential warning signs, and how evidence associated with the events can provide clues into why they occurred" - publisher's summary excerpt

Rampage Nation: Securing America from Mass Shootings by Louis Klarevas 

Prometheus, 2016
call number: 363.33 Kla

"In the past decade, no individual act of violence has killed more people in the United States than the mass shooting. . . Why do people go on killing sprees? Are gun-free zones magnets for deadly rampages? What can we do to curb the carnage of this disturbing form of firearm violence? Contrary to conventional wisdom, the author shows that gun possession often prods aggrieved, mentally unstable individuals to go on shooting sprees; these attacks largely occur in places where guns are not prohibited by law; and sensible gun control measures like the federal assault weapons ban-which helped drastically reduce rampage violence when it was in effect-are instrumental to keeping Americans safe from mass shootings in the future. To stem gun massacres, the author proposes several original policy prescriptions, including a high-capacity magazine ban and buy-back program, the establishment of multi-jurisdictional task forces to assess active shooter threats, and an overhaul of the way the justice system investigates and prosecutes violent crimes." - publisher's summary excerpt