Fact check: How many mass shootings in the USA were committed by individuals with a known affiliation to far-right groups?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided do not give a direct answer to the question of how many mass shootings in the USA were committed by individuals with a known affiliation to far-right groups ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. However, they suggest a significant connection between far-right ideology and mass shootings in the USA, with all U.S. extremist mass killings in 2022 linked to the far right, according to an ADL report ^[7]. The same report notes that the high number of killings linked to white supremacists was primarily due to mass shootings, indicating a strong correlation between white supremacist ideology and mass shootings ^[7]. Additionally, experts warn that recent school shootings show growth in a new radicalization pattern, which may not be strictly ideological but rather driven by online communities and social media, potentially linked to far-right or other extremist groups ^[8]. The ADL Center on Extremism's report on murder and extremism in the United States in 2021 notes that most of the murders (26 of 29) were committed by right-wing extremists, indicating a predominant role of far-right ideology in extremist-related killings ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some key points are missing from the original statement, including:

• The definition of "far-right groups" and how affiliation is determined ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.
• The time frame for the mass shootings in question, as different sources provide information for different years ^{[2] [7]}.
• The role of online communities and social media in radicalizing individuals who commit mass violence, potentially linked to far-right or other extremist groups ^[8].
• Alternative viewpoints, such as the potential for left-wing or other ideologies to be linked to mass shootings, are not presented in the analyses ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.
• The following are some specific facts or context that are missing:
• The total number of mass shootings in the USA during the specified time period ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.
• The number of mass shootings committed by individuals with no known affiliation to any extremist group ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.
• The potential benefits of each viewpoint, such as:
• The far-right ideology viewpoint: this benefits those who want to highlight the connection between far-right ideology and mass shootings ^[7].
• The online communities and social media viewpoint: this benefits those who want to highlight the role of online communities and social media in radicalizing individuals ^[8].
• The alternative ideologies viewpoint: this benefits those who want to highlight the potential for left-wing or other ideologies to be linked to mass shootings ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be biased towards highlighting the connection between far-right ideology and mass shootings, as it does not provide a comprehensive view of the issue ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. Additionally, the statement may be misinformation as it does not provide a clear answer to the question, and the analyses provided do not give a direct answer to the question ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. The sources cited may also have a bias towards highlighting the connection between far-right ideology and mass shootings, as they are mostly from organizations that track extremist activity ^{[2] [7]}. The potential beneficiaries of this framing are those who want to highlight the connection between far-right ideology and mass shootings, such as the ADL Center on Extremism ^{[2] [7]}.