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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Mass shootings a concern

I have read the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, “Mass Murder with Firearms: Incidents and Victims, 1999-2013,” referenced by Tom Stanton in his Dec. 27 letter to the editor, and found he cherry-picked and marginalized the information presented in the study to support his opinion.

Of the 66 mass public shootings (greater than four deaths) between 1999-2013 that resulted in 446 deaths, 27.3 percent were committed using assault-type weapons. Stanton’s statement that mass shootings are rare ignores the CRS study that reported 317 mass shootings that resulted in 1,554 deaths, and an average of 21 mass shooting incidents per year for the study period; almost two per month.

Regarding the trend in mass shootings, the CRS study reported that the mass public shooting murder victim rate per 10 million of population has trended upward for the 1999-2013 reporting period. I am a gun owner and welcome discussion on gun-related violence. Opinion and thought should be presented and discussed based on all the information that is available.

Don Nichols

Spokane

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