How many mass shootings in the USA have been done by trans people since 1982?
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1. Summary of the results
The analyses provided suggest that mass shootings committed by trans people in the USA are extremely rare [1]. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been five confirmed mass shootings by transgender or nonbinary people since January 2013, which is less than 0.1% of the mass shootings in that period [1]. The Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot and killed, excluding the shooter, and by this measure, only one mass shooter between 1966 and 2024 was transgender [1]. Additionally, transgender individuals account for a disproportionately small percent of mass shooters, but are disproportionately more likely to be victims of violence [2]. The Gun Violence Archive reports that since 2015, there have been 5,221 mass shootings, and the five trans shooters they have recorded have accounted for 0.1% of mass shootings in the last 10 years [2]. Trans people make up less than a percent of mass shooters and are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, with mass shooters tend to be cisgender men [3].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
A key piece of missing context is the lack of data on mass shootings committed by trans people before 2013 [1]. The original statement asks for the number of mass shootings committed by trans people since 1982, but most of the analyses only provide data from 2013 onwards. Additionally, some sources do not provide information on the number of mass shootings committed by trans people in the USA since 1982 [4] [5] [6]. Alternative viewpoints suggest that mass shootings are often committed by cisgender men, and that trans people are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators [2] [3]. It is also important to consider the criteria used to define a mass shooting, as different sources may have different definitions [1].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement may be misleading or biased because it implies that mass shootings committed by trans people are a significant problem, when in fact they are extremely rare [1]. The statement also lacks context about the overall number of mass shootings and the demographics of perpetrators [2] [3]. Additionally, the statement may be perpetuating harmful stereotypes about trans people, by implying that they are more likely to commit mass shootings than other groups [2] [3]. Cisgender men and their allies may benefit from this framing, as it diverts attention from their own role in mass shootings and perpetuates harmful stereotypes about trans people [3].