James Alan Fox: Umpqua shooting - a tragedy, not a trend

Another mass shooting sears deep into our collective consciousness, but it is hype and hysteria on the rise, not violence.

"I certainly don't mean to minimize the suffering of the Oregon victims and their families, but the shooting spree is not a reflection of more deadly times. Consider the facts.

According to a careful analysis of data on mass shootings (using the widely accepted definition of at least four killed), the Congressional Research Service found that there are, on average, just over 20 incidents annually. More important, the increase in cases, if there was one at all, is negligible. Indeed, the only genuine increase is in hype and hysteria."

[USA Today]