Apologies I needed to take additional time off. Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since his suicide and I’ve come to the realization that I’m in a position that I will have to remember him longer than the 14 years I worked for him. I’m still not in a good head space but “I’ll persist” —likely kicking and screaming.

Which brings us to the FBI’s newly released “2021 Active Shooter Report” which is embedded below:

Download active-shooter-incidents-in-the-us-2021-052422.pdf

—one important factor to consider: the increased prevalence of what’s colloquially known as “ghost guns” —these are a mix of 3-D prints guns. I’m old enough to remember a certain PITA account that pulled the fire alarm after the Trump Administration reversed course and allowed the CADs of 3D print guns, read more here, here, here or here. Over a year ago I wrote extensively on the ghost gun matters, found here, here and more specifically concerning schools, found here. Moreover last month the Biden Administration released the following:

FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration Cracks Down on Ghost Guns, Ensures That ATF Has the Leadership it Needs to Enforce Our Gun Laws | The White House

The FBI’s 2021 Active Shooter Report—

I’ve condensed a very high level overview of the newly released report, which makes the following finding of facts:

103 people were killed and 140 wounded, excluding the shooters.
…active shooter incident data indicates an upward trajectory.

The total number of active shooter incidents identified in 2021, represents a substantial increase of 52.5% from 2020 and a astronomical increase of 96.8% from 2017… these are incredibly sobering numbers.

Casualties are aggregated below:

Casualty counts are higher for 2021 (243) when compared with 2020 (164), indicating a 48% increase.

The data also concludes that the casualties in 2021 represents the third highest total casualty count over the last five years (2017–2021).

2021 saw the highest number of deaths (103) since 2017, a 171.1% increase from 2020 and above the average (92.3) for the period 2017–2020.
and an 11.1% increase in people wounded (140) in 2021 compared with 2020 (126), but below the average (253) for the period 2017–2020.

The FBI further aggravated the data concerning the 61 incidents, during 2021 -and to be clear when I go to a movie theater or grocery store, I’m not afraid of brown or black people. I’m instinctively afraid of White Males aged between 18 to 49 -additionally before I enter any public space I make a mental note of the exits and emergency exits. My children, like millions of other American children are now taught what to do in an active shooter situation. Lest we forget the Sandy Hook Promise —in 2019 they released this advertisement and I speaks to the parents growing fear and concern

The data as presented by the FBI —solidifies my previous assertion that I’m more scared of white males, who typically fit the profile of an active shooter.

Of the 61 individuals shooter;
- Sixty shooters were male, and one was female
Individual shooters carried out all the incidents.
The age range of the shooters was 12 years old to 67 years old.
2 shooters wore body armor.
30 shooters were apprehended by law enforcement,
- 14 shooters were killed by law enforcement
- 4 four shooters were killed by armed citizens
- one shooter was killed in a vehicle accident during a law enforcement pursuit,
11 shooters committed suicide, and one shooter remains at large.

…as noted the FBI defines an active shooter as and it’s important that you know that the FBI makes a clear delineation of “mass shooting” vs “active shooter” vs “general gun violence

…one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Implicit in this definition is the shooter’s use of a firearm. The active aspect of the definition inherently implies the ongoing nature of an incident, and thus the potential for the response to affect the outcome, whereas a mass killing is defined as three or more killings in a single incident.

In the newly released FBI Report —I would like to draw your attention to pages 6 and 7 respectively. Here the FBI proffered new information that, even I can admit knocked the wind out of me and I think it’s important that you read these pages…

of the 61 active shooter incidents in 2021 -the data below quantifies the Active Shooter Incidents by Time of Day
- 55.7% (34 incidents) occurred during p.m. hours (between 12:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.),
- 44.3% (27 incidents) occurred during a.m. hours (between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 a.m.).

Data shows that an active shooter incident is more likely to occur (63.9%) between 6:00 a.m. and 5:59 p.m. (39 incidents occurred during this timeframe). A breakdown of number of incidents by time is as follows:
12:00 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.: 11
6:00 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.: 16
12:00 p.m. to 5:59 p.m.: 23
6:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.: 11

What’s interesting (not in a good way) the FBI data drills down on locations of active shooters -what’s unnerving are the increase in Houses of Worship and Government buildings. That data appears to be an a amalgamation of where shootings took place

Commerce: 32, Education: 2 Government: 3 Open Space: 19 Residence: 3
Houses of Worship: 1 …Health Care: 1

And this isn’t a debate —save your “oh God she hates guns” that argument does not work on me. Because not only did I work for the NRA, I lobbied on behalf of them, I (had) a lifetime membership, I own firearms (that was a serious fight with my spouse when our kids were babies/toddlers) and I genuinely enjoy shooting. But unlike some I have always been a responsible gun owner. The catalyst for my leaving the NRA was their grotesque position on firearm safety in a home —their “Eddy the Eagle” propaganda was just a bridge too far for me. Again what part of “well regulated” is hard to understand. I don’t accept that “hunters” need an assault weapon. Those guns were created for the military and the type of carnage that can happen in a matter of seconds is almost too hard to comprehend.

Yet I’m going to remind you what our second amendment actually states because the first four words are important and the NRA/Gun Nuts seem to consistently overlook what our constitution actually states —so for the last time

“A well regulated militia….“

…A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

In 2008 DC v Heller — SCOTUS and Assault Weapons -Justice Scalia who wrote the majority opinion , which stated in part and it’s the later section of the opinion that consistently gets overlooked, again this is secular to “assault weapons” but important nonetheless…

“…We also recognize another important limitation on the right to keep and carry arms. ‘Miller’ said, as we have explained, that the sorts of weapons protected were those ‘in common use at the time.’ 307 U.S., at 179, 59 S.Ct. 816. We think that limitation is fairly supported by the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of ‘dangerous and unusual weapons.’”
“It may be objected that if weapons that are most useful in military service — M-16 rifles and the like — may be banned, then the Second Amendment right is completely detached from the prefatory clause. But as we have said, the conception of the militia at the time of the Second Amendment’s ratification was the body of all citizens capable of military service, who would bring the sorts of lawful weapons that they possessed at home to militia duty. It may well be true today that a militia, to be as effective as militias in the 18th century, would require sophisticated arms that are highly unusual in society at large. Indeed, it may be true that no amount of small arms could be useful against modern-day bombers and tanks. But the fact that modern developments have limited the degree of fit between the prefatory clause and the protected right cannot change our interpretation of the right.”

Again the newly released FBI 2021 Active Shooter report drills down on the data, both quantitatively and qualitatively —it’s an important reading of the facts. In addition I would also recommend that you supplement your reading by also reviewing the Trace’s December 2021 year in review report. Especially the following subsection, which reads in part:

In 2021 an estimated 18.8 million guns sold

Because the data The Trace used originated from the FBI and ATF —these are the lawful guns, not the “ghost guns” which are culled into a group of 3-D print guns, non-serialized (upper and lower receivers), gun shows loopholes or other unlawfully obtained guns.

The number includes 11.3 million handguns and 7.5 million long guns. Based on data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, gun purchases have declined in 2021 compared to 2020

And lastly tomorrow will officially mark four weeks since his suicide. I’m still not in a good head space but I can confidently stare I’m better than I was two weeks ago and I’m infinitely better than I was three weeks ago.

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I am trying to get back to normal but some days are better or worse than other other days. And the sad realization is I’m going to have to remember him longer than the 14 years we worked together and that’s something that hurts my heart, soul and mind. Because the reality is suicide by firearms definitively shows there were 38,882 deaths by firearms in 2017, and 23,854 were suicides. See June 2019 Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Deaths, Final Data for 2017

Be Well

-Filey

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