Why are mass shooters getting younger and deadlier? Experts have theories
- Mass shooters are rapidly becoming younger and deadlier in the U.S.
- Law enforcement agencies and experts say research lags behind the causes of it
- New solutions are needed for a rising threat that often lurks within online chats and social media
Some do it out of a perverse desire to make a difference in the world. Others are driven by mental illness, pandemic isolation or social media influences that turn them into hateful and sadistic monsters.
But there’s one increasing commonality among America’s mass shooters: Their youth.
Emerging data shows that killers like the accused gunman in Monday’s Independence Day parade attack in Highland Park, Illinois, 21-year-old Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, are a lot younger on average than they used to be. And researchers are scrambling to understand why, in a desperate effort to stop the next one.