In 2015, Congress refused to allow the CDC to research gun violence because, “…a gun is not a disease. Guns don’t kill people — people do.” This failed to recognize our urgent need to understand the people who use guns to kill people, especially in mass shootings, to find ways to prevent these tragedies.
Because of this lack of research, we don’t know the answers to basic questions, like whether there are recognizable mental health components, or what other risk factors could be identified before tragedy occurs. Family or community members don’t know how to identify early warning signs. We don’t know what kinds of interventions could be effective in avoiding these tragic outcomes. We need research that allows us to understand the people who carry out this type of violence.