Fact check: How many shootings have been caused from the left

1. Summary of the results

The original statement inquires about the number of shootings caused by the left, but the analyses provided do not give a straightforward answer to this question. According to the Cato Institute study, left-wingers account for 22% of the murders from political violence in the last five years, while right-wing terrorists account for 54% of those murders ^[1]. The ADL Center on Extremism report states that in 2021, most of the murders (26 of 29) were committed by right-wing extremists, while two killings were committed by Black nationalists and one by an Islamist extremist ^[2]. Additionally, The Conversation article states that right-wing extremist violence has been responsible for the overwhelming majority of fatalities, amounting to approximately 75% to 80% of U.S. domestic terrorism deaths since 2001, while left-wing extremist incidents have made up about 10% to 15% of incidents and less than 5% of fatalities ^[3]. Other sources, such as ^[6], ^[5], and ^[7], do not provide specific numbers of shootings caused by the left, but rather discuss the recent spate of political violence in the US and the comparison of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists. The data suggests that right-wing extremism is responsible for the majority of fatalities and incidents. Furthermore, ^[4] reports that left-wing terrorists have murdered 65 people, or about 2% of the total, while right-wing terrorists have murdered 391 people, or about 11% of the total ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks context regarding the time frame and the specific types of shootings being referred to. The analyses provided offer different perspectives on the issue, with some focusing on the number of murders committed by left-wing and right-wing extremists ^{[1] [2] [4]}, while others discuss the comparison of political violence by different extremist groups ^[5] or the recent spate of political violence in the US ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}. Alternative viewpoints are necessary to understand the complexity of the issue, including the fact that both Democrats and Republicans have been targeted in recent political violence ^{[7] [8]}. Additionally, the sources highlight the importance of considering the threat posed by different types of extremism, with right-wing extremism being identified as a significant threat to the United States ^{[3] [9]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading, as it implies that the left is responsible for a significant number of shootings, without providing context or evidence to support this claim. The analyses provided suggest that right-wing extremism is responsible for the majority of fatalities and incidents, which contradicts the implication of the original statement ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. This framing may benefit those who seek to downplay the threat of right-wing extremism, such as the Trump administration, which has been reported to plan a crackdown on left-wing groups ^{[6] [8]}. On the other hand, the emphasis on left-wing violence may be used to distract from the threat posed by right-wing extremism, which has been identified as a significant concern by various sources ^{[3] [9]}.