The Politics of Mass Shootings: An Examination of Political Responses to Orlando and Las Vegas Mass Shootings

• In Event: Mass Shootings and the Media

Abstract

Mass shootings illicit strong political responses. Democrats typically support tougher gun control legislation, while Republicans tend to oppose any infringements upon Second Amendment rights to bear arms. The current study offers a content analysis of political responses to two of the deadliest mass shootings in American history, the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting and the 2017 Route 91 Harvest shooting in Las Vegas. Randomly selected periodicals were examined to determine how Democrats and Republicans or their affiliates described the shootings and offenders. Further, we analyzed any solutions offered by both parties to address the issue of mass shootings or gun control. Initial results indicate that Democratic political responses remain consistent for both shootings in their support of stricter gun-control measures. Conversely, Republican responses varied. In the Orlando shooting, they called for tougher immigration policies and opposed any changes to gun legislation. However, their responses in the Las Vegas shooting appeared more focused on mental health and an openness to certain gun restrictions. We suggest these divergent Republican responses are related to the circumstances of the shooting as well as victim and offender characteristics.

Authors

• Mary Krakeel, Clayton State University

• Jason Davis, Clayton State University

• Elizabeth Bonomo, Clayton State University