Mass killings in the U.S. were committed once every two weeks between 2006 and 2010—the last year for which FBI data is available. Recent mass shootings at schools, theaters, shopping malls and workplaces have revived the gun control debate in America. A Mother Jones analysis of 62 mass shootings in the U.S. since 1982 found that 2012 was particularly lethal—a finding consistent with other publications. Together, the Aurora, Colo., movie theater rampage and Sandy Hook Elementary massacre claimed 40 of the 72 fatalities of 2012’s seven mass shootings. All seven shootings involved semiautomatic handguns and high-capacity magazines that had been purchased legally, and all seven suspects had shown prior signs of mental illness. Barack Obama is among those who suggest lax gun regulations are partly to blame. This week, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, … Read entire article »