Many School Shooters, One Common Factor: A Warped View Of Masculinity

As debate rages over gun control, media portrayals of shooters, and other factors, one topic doesn't get enough discussion, those who study mass shootings say: masculinity.
Marcus Yam via Getty Images

As the community of Roseburg, Ore., grapples with grief and questions about the mass shooting Thursday at Umpqua Community College that left nine victims and the gunman dead, the now-familiar national conversations about campus safety, gun control, and mental health are under way.

Also emerging in this case is the question of whether the shooter was motivated, at least in part, by animosity toward organized religion in general, or toward Christians in particular. Various media reports cite at least three witnesses saying the shooter asked students their religion, and one said he specifically targeted for killing those who identified as Christian.

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