Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

22 hours ago

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

24 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

1 day ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 day ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

1 day ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

2 days ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

2 days ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

2 days ago
Latest CA Gun Violence Pressures Elected Officials to Make Reforms
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 2 years ago on
January 26, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

With three mass shootings within a week leaving 24 Californians dead, public policymakers are searching for answers.

•    Six people on Jan. 16 were found fatally shot inside a home in the Central Valley community of Goshen, in a case that detectives believe could be tied to organized crime.

David M. Danelski portrait

David M. Danelski

Analysis

•    On Saturday, Jan. 21, a 72-year-old man walked into the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park in Southern California and opened fire, killing 11. The gunman later killed himself.
•    On Monday afternoon, Jan. 23, seven more people were killed in two shootings in rural farms in Half Moon Bay in Northern California that authorities say are connected. A 66-year-old man who worked at one of the farms has been arrested.

For a perspective on what this most recent spate of deadly gun violence may mean for public policy in California and beyond, we asked University of California, Riverside, public policy associate professor Benjamin J. Newman to answer questions raised by the violence. Newman is a faculty affiliate at the Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at UCR.

Q. Do you believe that this violence will spur legislation aimed at increasing public safety, such as more stringent background checks, limits on the number of bullets per reloading, and bans on kits that make legally purchased guns more lethal?
A. The best answer is that it depends. My research analyzing the effect of public mass shootings over the past decade shows that the level of national news coverage given to a shooting makes all the difference. When the media pay a lot of attention to a shooting, we are more likely to see the American people engage with gun policy in a variety of ways, including signing petitions for greater gun control and donating money to gun safety political organizations that push lawmakers for more regulations. These behaviors by ordinary citizens can have downstream effects by pushing lawmakers to act for gun reform. However, when public mass shootings are given only a little media attention, we predictably see very little engagement among ordinary citizens.
Q. Why have so many past mass shootings faded from public consciousness with no or little policy changes aimed at making us safer?
A. Researchers, such as Danny Hayes at George Washington University, suggest that mass shootings succumb to a process called the issue-attention cycle, where there are incentives for the media to cover shootings for a week or two, but then move onto other issues to keep the attention of their audience and avoid what other scholars have coined “crisis fatigue,” whereby viewers avoid sustained attention to issues that are painful or depressing. We know from past research that certain types of mass shootings, such as those occurring in public venues (schools, grocery stores, churches, commercial venues, etc.) and with higher victim counts tend to receive greater media attention.

San Mateo County Sheriffs officers and EMS personnel gather along a road at a location near where multiple people were found shot to death on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay. (Carlos Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Q. Pro-gun politicians, many financially backed by the powerful National Rifle Association, have effectively blocked various gun control legislative efforts for decades. Do you believe this political logjam will persist for years if not decades to come?
A. My research suggests the answer could be NO. The reason why is that my research has rendered two findings: (1) Americans whose lives have been touched by mass shootings are more supportive of gun control, and (2) public mass shootings garnering a lot of media attention spur Americans into political action and the tilt of this action is toward gun control. Thus, with the increase in the occurrence and deadliness of public mass shootings, more and more Americans will be touched personally by gun violence, and thus, the foundation of support for gun control will grow. All it may require is politicians who are brave enough to seize on this shifting climate of public opinion.
Q. Given the political climate, what can California do to reduce gun violence?
A. Most of the credible research out there shows that imposing restrictions on access to firearms reduces gun violence.  Very simple and very straightforward. Make it more difficult to obtain guns and there will be less gun violence.  At least this is what the research suggests.

About the Author

David M. Danelski is the senior public information officer at UC Riverside.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

DON'T MISS

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

DON'T MISS

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’

DON'T MISS

Trump Floats Daughter-in-Law Lara Trump for Senate Run in North Carolina

DON'T MISS

Google Hit With $314 Million US Verdict in Cellular Data Class Action

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Wildfire Prompts Advisory in Three Rivers Area

DON'T MISS

O’Brien Launches Fresno County Schools Chief Campaign by Handing Out ‘Homework’

UP NEXT

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

UP NEXT

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

UP NEXT

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

UP NEXT

Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’

UP NEXT

Trump Floats Daughter-in-Law Lara Trump for Senate Run in North Carolina

UP NEXT

Google Hit With $314 Million US Verdict in Cellular Data Class Action

UP NEXT

Tulare County Wildfire Prompts Advisory in Three Rivers Area

UP NEXT

O’Brien Launches Fresno County Schools Chief Campaign by Handing Out ‘Homework’

UP NEXT

Trump Says US Could Reach Trade Deal With India, Casts Doubt on Deal With Japan

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

49 minutes ago

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

58 minutes ago

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

1 hour ago

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

1 hour ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

1 hour ago

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

16 hours ago

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

17 hours ago

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

17 hours ago

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

17 hours ago

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

18 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but cleared of more serious c...

2 minutes ago

Defense lawyers comfort Sean "Diddy" Combs while discussing how to handle a note sent by jurors that they had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
2 minutes ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

Dalai Lama blesses actor Richard Gere in Dharamsala, India June 30, 2025, in this screen grab from a video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS.
24 minutes ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

36 minutes ago

Fresno Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint on Independence Day

Sean "Diddy" Combs was found guilty Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, capping a decades-long rise and fall marked by music stardom, legal battles, and abuse allegations. (Shutterstock)
49 minutes ago

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

Four young men were rescued from the Kings River in Sanger on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, after getting stranded in rapids, thanks to life jackets, a rescue boat, and a sheriff’s helicopter. (Fresno County SO)
58 minutes ago

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
1 hour ago

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
1 hour ago

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

Sean "Diddy" Combs and his attorney Marc Agnifilo discuss with other defense lawyers on how to respond to a new note sent by jurors, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
1 hour ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend