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Washington (People’s daily) - More people died or were injured in mass school shootings in the US over the past 18 years than in the entire 20th century. Researchers reviewed the history of mass school shootings in the US and reported the conclusions in a study Thursday.
This new study was published in Springer's Journal of Child and Family Studies. Lead author Antonis Katsiyannis, Clemson University in the US, and his colleagues, found the recent killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida is not an isolated occurrence, but part of a deadly epidemic that needs to be addressed.
From 2000-2018, researchers counted 66 deaths across 22 mass shootings at schools. That's higher than the death toll of 55 in 22 mass school shootings spanning six decades from 1940-1999, according to the report.
The authors explained that such violence can be mitigated through deliberate, sensible policy and legislative actions. These include expanded background checks of potential gun owners and a ban on assault weapons.