Fact check: How many shootings are left wing

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided suggest that right-wing extremists are more violent than left-wing extremists in the United States, with the majority of domestic extremist killings being committed by right-wing extremists ^[1]. According to the ADL Center on Extremism, in 2022, domestic extremists killed at least 25 people in the U.S., with the majority of these killings being committed by right-wing extremists, and only a few by left-wing extremists ^[1]. The CSIS brief also states that right-wing terrorism has significantly outpaced left-wing terrorism, with right-wing attacks and plots accounting for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the United States since 1994 ^[2]. However, some sources report on instances of left-wing violence, such as the killing of Charlie Kirk, where the suspect appeared to have a left-wing motive ^{[3] [4] [5]}. The data provided by Alex Nowrasteh could be used to analyze the scope of left-wing terrorism, but the analysis itself is not provided ^[6]. A research paper by Jasko, LaFree, Piazza, and Becker found that radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent ^[7].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key missing context in the original statement is the definition of "left-wing" and "right-wing" extremism, as different sources may have different criteria for categorizing individuals or groups as such ^{[8] [1]}. Additionally, the original statement does not provide any context about the motivations behind left-wing extremism, which could be an important factor in understanding the issue ^[5]. Alternative viewpoints, such as the idea that both left-wing and right-wing extremism are concerns, are also not fully explored in the original statement ^{[2] [7]}. The sources also mention that political polarization in the US is a significant factor in the rise of extremism, but this context is not provided in the original statement ^[5]. Furthermore, the sources highlight the importance of addressing right-wing violence, which is often ignored by politicians, while left-wing violence is more frequently condemned ^{[8] [4]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement "How many shootings are left wing" may be misleading, as it implies that left-wing extremism is a significant concern, when in fact, the majority of extremist killings are committed by right-wing extremists ^[1]. This framing may benefit right-wing politicians who seek to downplay the threat of right-wing extremism and shift the focus to left-wing extremism ^[4]. The statement may also be biased towards portraying left-wing extremism as a major issue, when in fact, the data suggests that right-wing extremism is a more significant concern ^[2]. The sources suggest that politicians and media outlets may be contributing to the misinformation and bias by selectively reporting on instances of left-wing violence while ignoring or downplaying right-wing violence ^{[8] [4] [5]}.