Why so many mass killings? Families, experts seek answers

By STEFANIE DAZIO and LARRY FENN
Associated Press

More than 100 people have been killed in mass killings thus far in 2023, an average of one a week. The family members and friends of those lost to the violence are haunted by the question of why these attacks are still happening. Experts point to a few contributing factors: a general increase in all types of gun violence in recent years, the proliferation of firearms amid lax gun laws, and a political climate unable or unwilling to change the status quo in meaningful ways. Such explanations are little comfort to Americans reeling from the cascading, collective trauma of mass violence.