Paper Example on Mass Shootings

Introduction

Mass shootings in America have increased over the past years. Imperatively, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) released a report that more than 1000 people have lost their lives since 2000 due to a perpetrator opening gunfire at a crowd. A study of 160 cases of mass shootings between 2000 and 2013 was used to identify pertinent themes associated with mass shooters as well as formulating a response to similar future cases. It was noted that each of the first seven years, which is between 2000 and 2007, had an average of six mass shootings. However, the average number of mass shootings escalated to 16 in the last seven years, between 2007 and 2013.

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Noteworthy, most mass shootings targeted schools and business as many people are found in these places. Andre Simmons, the FBI's behavioral unit supervisor, notes that most assailants have perceived or real personal grievances that are deeply held. These grievances push the assailants to engage in catastrophic violence against people or institutions. FBI officials elucidate that mass shootings have increased due to the inspiration that assailants get from past shootings or the resulting notoriety. Since mass shootings last for a few minutes, law enforcement officers must respond swiftly to prevent many deaths.

The Mass Shooting Case

The mass shooting case identified occurred on November 5, 2009. The incident occurred at Fort Hood, Texas in which Nidal Hasan killed 13 people in a bloody shooting (Meloy & Genzman, 2016). Additionally, 30 people sustained minor and major injuries. It is essential to elucidate that Nidal Hasan was a US Army major at the time he committed the crime. Imperatively, this is regarded as the deadliest shooting to have ever occurred on a military base in the US. The law enforcers responded to the situation in good time and shot Hassan on his waist, thereby paralyzing him. Unlike most cases in which assailants either commit suicide or police killing them in a gunfight, the suspect was arrested. On July 20, 2011, the assailant was arraigned in court and charged with 13 pre-meditated murder counts. He was also charged with attempted murder on 33 counts according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is prudent to note that on August 7, 2013, the suspect's court-martial instigated Meloy & Genzman, 2016). Quintessentially, Hasan faced life imprisonment devoid of parole or death penalty due to the weight of the crimes he was charged in the military court.

Assailant's Possible Motives

It is stipulated that Hasan was upset that he was about to be deployed to Afghanistan to fight Islamic extremists on November 28, 2009. According to Zahedzadeh (2017), he was furious about the pending deployment and even shared with some of his friends and students that he was considering quitting the army since he believed that a Muslim should never murder a fellow Muslim. It is also thought that the motive behind Hasan's action was the failure of his supervisors to prosecute his patients for war crimes due to the statements they made during psychiatrist sessions. He also felt stereotyped since he would be given low marks for his substandard performances during the internship. He, therefore, felt the urge to revenge against his tutors and students. However, Hasan's narration pinpointed that his actions were purely radicalization-based.

Assailant's Background

Nidal Hasan was a US-born citizen who served in the US Military as a major and a psychiatrist. He had a strong Muslim background, and he became more devout to the religion after the demise of his parents. Initially, Hasan had no anti-American views, and he never expressed radical perspectives. However, his perception changed after he had stories from his parents before they died. Notably, his parents had been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq and witnessed what they termed as discrimination (Meloy & Genzman, 2016). He received his internship as well as his residency at Walter Reed Medical Center between 2003 and 2009. During this period, he expressed radical views blatantly and even supported suicide bombings, which made his colleagues to describe him as schizoid.

Final Results of Criminal Prosecution

On August 23, 2013, the jurors found him guilty on all the 13 pre-meditated murder counts. Meloy and Genzman (2016) explain that Hasan was also found guilty of the attempted pre-meditated murder counts he was charged in the military court. Five days later, on August 28, 2013, Hasan was given a death penalty for his crime.

Recommendations

Since mass shootings happen within a very short time, it is crucial for law enforcement officers to respond to such incidences swiftly to salvage the situation before more deaths happen. Furthermore, law enforcers should also take seriously any reported cases of people having suicidal thoughts or anti-American views. Also, licensed gun holders should undergo periodic checks and tests to ascertain if they are fit to possess firearms. The criminal justice system should pass speed up court proceedings for perpetrators of mass shootings as well as pass harsh sentences to them. By so doing, there will be a reduction of incidents of mass shooting in the US.

References

Meloy, J. R., & Genzman, J. (2016). The clinical threat assessment of the lone-actor terrorist. Psychiatric Clinics, 39(4), 649-662.

Zahedzadeh, G. (2017). Overt attacks and covert thoughts. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 36, 1-8.