SINCE NORWAY MASSACRE, AT LEAST FOUR MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE U.S.

In the wake of the tragic bombing and shooting rampage in Norway, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence pointed out this morning that mass shootings are startlingly common in the U.S., with its much laxer gun laws. In a typical year, fewer than 10 people are killed by guns in Norway while 12,000 are shot and killed in the U.S. annually (the U.S. is about 60 times bigger than Norway but has 1,200 times more gun deaths):

Since the Norway massacre, there have been at least four mass shootings in the U.S., leaving six dead at a roller rink in Texas, one dead and eight wounded in Stockton, CA, nine teens wounded at a party in Florida, and seven wounded at a Casino in Seattle. Our hearts go out to these victims and their loved ones as well.

Whereas a mass shooting in Norway is an extraordinary event, it is a regular occurrence in America. Whereas 84 shooting deaths in a single day is a historic event in Norway, described by the nation’s prime minister as a ‘national disaster,’ 84 dead is essentially the everyday toll of fatal gun violence in America.

Norway’s death toll has since been revised downward to 68 from the shooting at the youth camp.