Violence in America

Sandy Hook Massacre  On Dec. 12, 2012, 20-year- old Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary with an AR-15 assault rifle. 30 minutes later, he killed himself, after killing 20 first grade students and six school staffers, including the school’s principal.

Sandy Hook Massacre  The shooting took place just months after James Holmes killed 12 people inside an Aurora, Colo. theater during a midnight viewing of the film The Dark Knight Rises. Holmes also used an assault rifle.

Inner-city gun violence  Meanwhile, many cities in the United States, including Philadelphia and Chicago, saw spikes in the number of reported homicides in Philadelphia recorded 332 homicides, while Chicago had just over 500.

Suicide  Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control recorded that, in 2010, nearly 20,000 people committed suicide by firearm.

Gun Debate  The Sandy Hook shooting in particular has led to a national discussion on the causes of firearm deaths in the United States.  Since the shooting, three major areas of concern of a have developed during debate.

Availability of guns  Many people believe too many guns – notably assault style rifles with high-ammunition magazines – are available in the United States.  Others believe the problem is that too few people have weapons available to defend themselves.

Violence in the Media  A growing chorus has argued that the violent nature of the media – whether through movies, television, video games or music – has influenced people to commit gun crimes.

Mental Health  Still others believe that the key issue in gun violence is related to mental health issues. People who use guns to kill often have unresolved psychological or neurological issues. And the health care system is not doing enough to help these individuals.

Your job  The task of this course is to provide comprehensive, multimedia coverage of this issue, via a self-created and well-maintained website.

MembersIssues Teams  Antoine Aluqdah  Erica Blackwell  Schanelle Bouie  Paige Mitchell Violence in movies/television Violence in Video Games News Coverage and Violence Violent media and public reaction

MembersIssues Teams  Ashley Williams  Asia Cobbs  Rickiea Cohen  Tia’s Hammond  Frantasia Walden Mental Health and Violence Suicide Gun violence and gang warfare Counseling and Social Work Issues Post-traumatic stress disorder Developmental issues and violence

MembersIssues Teams  Timothy Alston  Tanisha Morris  Ashley Reding  Ivana Whitfield Federal Gun Control Debate National Rifle Association State/Local gun laws Guns and schools Community Organizations/Gun Debate

Sources  Colin Powell     NRA     Obama Sandy Hook     Solider/Dealer  32:20   Django 