Quote from tomdavis:
Mass murder is a tragedy, but it's not the "epidemic" that some people are trying to make it out to be.
My daughters were very upset about the school shooting last week so we did some research to see what the likelihood is of being killed by a mass murderer. [I try to teach my kids to overcome fear through education and preparation.]
Turns out, you're more likely to get hit by lightning than you are to be killed by a mass murderer.
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Average number of people in the US killed in mass shootings (4 or more victims per FBI stats) each year -- approximately 150.
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Number of people killed in gang violence each year:
-- Over 500 each year in Los Angeles.
-- Over 400 each year in Chicago.
-- Nationally, about 8,000 people die in gang-related violence every year.
-- Over 50 times as many people die in gang violence as are killed in mass murders each year.
-- Over 20% of the Los Angeles police department's $1.1 billion budget is spent on gangs and gang-related crime.
[Good reasons to stay away from gangs.]
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Average number of people killed by drunk drivers each year in the US: Approximately 10,000
-- You're 67 times more likely to be killed by a drunk driver than you are to be a victim of a mass murder.
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Average number of people struck by lightning each year in the US: approximately 400.
-- You're 2.6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to be a victim of mass murder.
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Average number of people who win a lottery worth million dollars or more each year in the US: approximately 1,600.
-- You're over 10 times as likely to win a million dollars or more in a lottery than you are to be a victim of mass murder.
