Identifying Killers Can be Overdone but is Sometimes Needed

By David Codrea

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Should media avoid naming the gunmen in mass shootings?” an Associated Press follow-up on the New Zealand mosque murders asks. “Criminologists who study mass shootings say the vast majority of shooters are seeking infamy and soak up the coverage as a guide.”

It’s nice to see our “news” organizations finally catching up. Gun owner rights advocates have been pleading the case to tone down “gratuitous” publicizing for years. And it’s also not lost on those tuned in to such things that the term “gunmen” is a way for those with an agenda and wide reach to disparage both guns and men.

I confess to mixed motivations over naming names.

The latest maniac, in his “manifesto”, dismissed notoriety as one of his goals, writing:

Q: Did you carry out the attack for fame?

No, carrying out an attack for fame would be laughable…

I don’t know if that holds true for all, but the point is none of us has conclusive information to state with certainty how prevalent the desire for media “immortality” among killers is. …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand