The purpose of this project, is to showcase the D3 Visulization library. "D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS. D3’s emphasis on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework, combining powerful visualization components and a data-driven approach to DOM manipulation"(Data-Driven Documents).
The original data for the following graph, has been dowloaded from the Mother Jones database. Download the database in its entirety (in CSV format) by clicking here. This graph answers the question, how many victims have there been in mass shootings in the United States? and how many incidents have there been in the United States since 1982? The graph takes into account injuries and fatalities.
Why do these numbers seem so low in comparison to what is reported on the major news networks? According to Chmielewski and Ray (2023), the "U.S. statute (the Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012) defines a “mass killing” as “3 or more killings in a single incident.”
According to J. Bosman et al. (2019), "The motivations of men who commit mass shootings are often muddled, complex or unknown. But one common thread that connects many of them — other than access to powerful firearms — is a history of hating women, assaulting wives, girlfriends and female family members, or sharing misogynistic views online" (The New York Times)