Thinking the unthinkable

Re:Thinking the unthinkable by justincormack on Sunday December 16, 2012 @04:20AM (#4927834)

Here is the list http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/07/20/the-worst-mass-shootings...

It certainly looks like Scandinavia and the UK might have a problem. Europe as a whole still has fewer than the US for a similar population but it is high. None for China, India or Brazil. So it is not just about normalisation...

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by EliRivers on Sunday December 16, 2012 @11:04AM (#4928587)

The UK did take some action after theirs; after Hungerford, all semi-automatic rifles (centre-ammunition) and shotguns taking four or more rounds were banned, and after Dunblane all cartridge ammunition handguns were banned within Great Britain (except .22 single-shot, which were then banned about 5 years later).

The most recent UK shooting of note, Derrick Bird, used a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun and a .22 (bolt-action) rifle. Would it have been worse if he'd had handguns and semi-automatic rifles? We'll never know, but he did try to acquire another firearm mid-rampage so he clearly felt like he needed more firepower.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by mpweiher on Sunday December 16, 2012 @12:35PM (#4928871)

From that list, I count 16 events in the US and 4 in the EU. Populations are 501M (EU) and 316M (US) (Wikipedia). So 4:1 incidence rate, 6:1 adjusted for population. Very similar to the overall homicide and gun death rates.

I'd agree that Scandinavia has a bigger problem (EU would be at 2 without Finland). (Norway is not part of the EU, and I also didn't count the US soldier going on a rampage in Afghanistan).

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by justincormack on Sunday December 16, 2012 @05:29PM (#4929843)

Norway is culturally part of Europe, joining the EU does not really change much.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by mosselman on Sunday December 16, 2012 @10:11AM (#4928453)

Please. 'it is high' in Europe'? Playing it fast and loose with the word 'high' if you ask me.

Of those mentioned in the list; 6 in the past 25 years are in Europe. 3 shootings, on this list alone, happened in the US in the past 6 months! Most European countries probably haven't had any of this type of thing happen in the past 25+ years.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by justincormack on Sunday December 16, 2012 @05:33PM (#4929860)

Well, its not very statistically significant anyway, but the number outside the US and Europe at all is very small. There are too many in Europe to say they are non existent... sure nothing like the US. Most European countries are very small which was what this thread was about.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by tylee78 on Monday December 17, 2012 @12:03AM (#4930916)

no. just a "honor" murder each week. usually knives though, so does not count.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by mosselman on Monday December 17, 2012 @04:02PM (#4934337)

You are right, knives don't count in comparing the amount of shootings. Also, Europe is not a Turkish mountain village.

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Re:Thinking the unthinkable by icebraining on Sunday December 16, 2012 @05:13AM (#4927934)

Apparently, Brazil had its first just last year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro_school_shooting

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