Latest news with #schoolshootings
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Killings at European schools fan concern US problem is spreading
ZURICH, June 13 (Reuters) - A spate of school killings in Western Europe has raised pressure on authorities to tackle a problem long seen as a largely U.S. phenomenon, increasing momentum for tougher gun and security laws and more policing of social media. While mass shootings remain far more common in the United States, four of the worst school shootings in Western Europe this century have occurred since 2023 and two - a massacre of 11 people in Austria and another in Sweden - were this year. This week's killings in the Austrian city of Graz sparked calls for tighter gun laws by political leaders, mirroring the response of the Swedish government after the 11 deaths at the Campus Risbergska school in Orebro in February. "Mass shootings, of which school shootings are a part, were overwhelmingly a U.S. problem in the past, but the balance is shifting," said Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama. "The number in Europe and elsewhere is increasing." Part of the rise stems from copycat attacks in Europe often inspired by notorious U.S. rampages such as the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, according to shooters' own comments or their internet search histories, Lankford said. "It's like an export from America. These attackers see other people do it and it has a snowball effect." According to research by Lankford and Jason Silva, shootings carried out by people eager for notoriety were twice as numerous in the United States as in the rest of the world between 2005 and 2010. By 2017-2022, the rest of the world had caught up. Their data also shows that Europe accounts for a bigger share of mass shootings than it used to. It should be easier for European politicians to act against mass shootings than the United States, due to the central role of guns in American culture and identity, Lankford said. The European Union has left gun laws and regulation of social media up to member states. Recent killings have seen a drive by several countries to apply tougher rules. In Sweden, the government agreed to tighten the vetting process for people applying for gun licences and to clamp down on some semi-automatic weapons following the Orebro killings. Incidents of violence and threatening behaviour in junior high and high schools rose over 150% between 2003 and 2023, according to a report by Sweden's Work Environment Authority. In Finland, where a 12-year-old shot dead a fellow pupil and badly wounded two others in 2024, schools practice barricading doors and hiding from shooters. The government has also proposed stricter punishments for carrying guns in public. Following a deadly December knife attack at a Zagreb primary school, Croatia's government tightened access to schools and mandated they must have security guards. Germany has gradually imposed tighter controls on gun ownership since school massacres in 2002 and 2009, and last year introduced a ban on switchblades and on carrying knives at public events following a series of knife attacks. Tightening gun ownership was the only way politicians could show they were taking the issue seriously, said Dirk Baier, a criminologist at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. "There will certainly be resistance to this, from hunters, sport shooters, or other lobby groups," he said. "However, I think the arguments for tightening the laws will outweigh the arguments against." Gun laws have also been a hot political topic in the Czech Republic since a student shot dead 14 people at the Charles University in Prague in December 2023. The country made it obligatory for gun sellers to report suspicious purchases and requires doctors to check whether people diagnosed with psychological problems hold gun permits. Britain is holding a public inquiry into an attack in Southport where three young girls were stabbed to death last year. UK drama "Adolescence", a story about a schoolboy accused of murder, explores concerns about toxic online culture. Meanwhile in France, President Emmanuel Macron this month pressed for EU regulation to ban social media for children under 15 following a fatal school stabbing. What motivated the Austrian school gunman is still under investigation. Police said he was socially withdrawn and passionate about online shooting games. Most such shootings are carried out by young men, and criminologist Lankford said there was a global phenomenon of perpetrators seeking notoriety that eluded them in real life, driven in part by social media. "Even if the shooters expect to die, some are excited about leaving behind a legacy." Austria has relatively liberal gun laws, and President Alexander Van der Bellen said after the attack the legislation deserved closer scrutiny. Broad support in Austria for tightening gun ownership laws looked probable, although a general ban on private weapons seems unlikely, said political scientist Peter Filzmaier.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: School Shooters by Peter Langman
School shootings scare everyone. They make parents afraid to send their children to school. But they also lead to generalizations about those who perpetrate them. Most assumptions about the perpetrators are wrong, and many warning signs are missed. In this book, Peter Langman takes a look at 48 national and international cases of school shootings to dispel the myths, explore the motives, and expose the realities of preventing school shootings from happening in the future, according to a review on
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Man shot dead by teenager in Utah after celebrating his birthday on night out
The mother of a British man shot dead by a teenager has placed the blame on parents who 'normalize' gun violence in U.S. schools. Rory Swimm, born in Dundee, Scotland, was killed after an altercation with a stranger in Salt Lake City, Utah, just days after his 23rd birthday on October 13, 2023. The student had been out celebrating when he started teasing Jordan Fisher, then 15, about whisky, according to accounts from his friends at the scene. After an argument broke out, Fisher drove away before coming back to throw bottles at Swimm, driving off again and eventually returning to shoot him in the chest with the help of a laser. The teen, now 17, will be tried as an adult in a Utah court in June but will not face the death penalty if he is found guilty. He is pleading self-defense. Rory's mom Susan, 56, blamed the tragic incident on American parents who put up with 'shooter drills' and the sale of 'bullet-proof backpacks'. She said: 'What has struck me since Rory's murder is the blame I place on parents of American children who think it is okay their kids are drilled into hiding under desks at school and in closets. From Kindergarten all the way through to high school they do shooter drills. This is a normal occurrence across America.' Susan added: 'You have got kids waiting for the school shooter to come. Gun culture in schools has become normalized. We did simple fire drills in the UK - they do shooter drills here. 'You've got adverts for what color bulletproof backpack to get. America has accepted that kids will be killed at school and the parents have allowed that to happen. 'They don't seem to understand. Even the Sandy Hook parents have been able to do very little to change that. What kind of a country allows this and what message is that giving to children? 'People are still not allowed to drink until they are 21 - yet can buy an AK Rifle at 18.' The distraught mom said that despite Fisher's name being released in court documents, she would never say it herself. She added: 'That boy was out to kill someone and it was a complete stranger encounter. If Rory hadn't gone into the store or if he had turned left instead of right he would still be alive. 'I am still not going to say his name. I never will. He was just 15 yet had managed to acquire two handguns - one of them had a laser. They travelled 45 minutes from where they live and came across my beautiful son and his best friends. 'It started as a banter altercation. Rory was offering him whisky. He was hospitable and liked to have a drink with his mates. The problem was that boy was just out to kill someone.' Susan added: 'They had been coming home from a bar celebrating Rory's 23rd birthday and had stopped to get some snacks. They started singing with a homeless man and Rory offered him some whisky. 'Three boys approached and called him a skater f**' and Rory told them to f*** off. Rory gave the homeless man a snack and those boys started harassing him again.' They clashed again a short while later and Susan said Rory's friend saw the killer pull out the gun, and saw the bullet leave. She added: 'It had a laser on it. You don't miss when there is a laser. All the boys fled in different directions and Rory fell to the ground. His killers then got back into the car and sped away.' Despite the horrifying incident, Susan described Salt Lake City as 'peaceful and quiet' and the area where it took place as a 'very quiet residential street'. Susan explained the family's mission was now to develop a non-profit to 'teach youths kindness, compassion, empathy, inclusion through sport, art and music'. She said she struggled to get the wider public interested in her son's case but hoped publicity around the trial might make some take notice. Susan went on: 'America doesn't want to hear any bad news - they are not interested my son was killed. The local paper did a big piece on his memorial and how incredible it was but they didn't want to go into what happened. 'So many young children are being killed. But America doesn't care. If they did they would do something. Instead they are doing shooting drills, which only normalizes the culture. It's easier to get a gun than it is to get a Budweiser. 'Rory was the most joyful human being I knew and had the ability to see good in everyone. He was a non-judgmental person and would include everybody. 'He was the magnet of his huge friend group and people gravitated towards him. He had a real kindness. He would stand up to bulling and get involved but he would never want to hurt anybody. He was so full of fun. 'He was on his way to doing really well. But that was ripped away from him.'
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Daily Mail
My son was shot dead by a teenager just days after celebrating his 23rd birthday... but I blame American parents for normalising a culture of gun violence in schools
The mother of a British man who was allegedly shot dead by a teenager has placed the blame for her son's death on parents who 'normalise' gun violence in US schools. Rory Swimm, who was born in Dundee in Scotland, was killed after an altercation with a stranger in Salt Lake City, Utah, just days after his 23rd birthday on October 13, 2023. The student had been out celebrating when he started engaging in 'banter' with schoolboy Jordan Fisher, then 15, about drinking whisky, according to accounts from his friends at the scene. After an argument broke out, the teenager is believed to have driven away before coming back to throw bottles at Mr Swimm, driving off again and eventually returning to shoot the Brit in the chest with the help of a laser. Fisher, 17, will be tried as an adult in a Utah court in June but will not face the death penalty if found guilty. He is pleading self defence. Now Rory's mother Susan, 56, has placed the blame on American parents who put up with 'shooter drills' and the sale of 'bullet-proof backpacks'. She said: 'What has struck me since Rory's murder is the blame I place on parents of American children who think it is okay their kids are drilled into hiding under desks at school and in closets. 'From Kindergarten all the way through to high school they do shooter drills. This is a normal occurrence across America. 'You have got kids waiting for the school shooter to come. Gun culture in schools has become normalised. We did simple fire drills in the UK - they do shooter drills here. 'You've got adverts for what colour bulletproof backpack to get. America has accepted that kids will be killed at school and the parents have allowed that to happen. 'They don't seem to understand. Even the Sandy Hook parents have been able to do very little to change that. What kind of a country allows this and what message is that giving to children? 'People are still not allowed to drink until they are 21 - yet can buy an AK Rifle at 18.' The distraught parent was born in Glasgow but moved to Edwards, Colorado with husband Rob, 59, and their two other children Scott, 26, and Maggie, 21. Ms Swimm said that despite Fisher's name being released in court documents, she would never say it herself. She added: 'That boy was out to kill someone and it was a complete stranger encounter. If Rory hadn't gone into the store or if he had turned left instead of right he would still be alive. 'I am still not going to say his name. I never will. He was just 15 yet had managed to acquire two handguns - one of them had a laser. They travelled 45 minutes from where they live and came across my beautiful son and his best friends. 'It started as a banter altercation. Rory was offering him whisky. He was hospitable and liked to have a drink with his mates. 'The problem was that boy was just out to kill someone.' Ms Swimm added: 'They had been coming home from a bar celebrating Rory's 23rd birthday and had stopped to get some snacks. They started singing with a homeless man and Rory offered him some whisky. 'Three boys approached and called him a "skater f**" and Rory told them to f off. Rory gave the homeless man a snack and those boys started harassing him again.' They allegedly clashed again a short while later and Susan said Rory's friend saw the murderer pull out the gun, and saw the bullet leave. She added: 'It had a laser on it. You don't miss when there is a laser. All the boys fled in different directions and Rory fell to the ground. 'His killers then got back into the car and sped away.' Despite the horrifying incident, Ms Swimm described Salt Lake City, which had 11 homicides at the time of her son's death, as 'peaceful and quiet' and the area where it took place as a 'very quiet residential street'. Mr Swimm was just about to complete welding school and was planning to move to Montana with his best friend when he was killed 'Never in a million years would you think something bad would happen there,' she said. 'Our mission now is developing a non-profit we have started to teach youths kindness, compassion, empathy, inclusion through sport, art and music. 'Rory was an incredible skier. He was called a "reckless beauty like no other".' Ms Swimm said she has struggled to get the wider public interested in her son's case but hoped publicity around the trial might make some take notice. She added: 'America doesn't want to hear any bad news - they are not interested my son was killed. The local paper did a big piece on his memorial and how incredible it was but they didn't want to go into what happened. 'So many young children are being killed. But America doesn't care. If they did they would do something. Instead they are doing shooting drills, which only normalises the culture. It's easier to get a gun than it is to get a Budweiser. 'Rory was the most joyful human being I knew and had the ability to see good in everyone. He was a non-judgmental person and would include everybody. 'He was the magnet of his huge friend group and people gravitated towards him. He had a real kindness. He would stand up to bulling and get involved but he would never want to hurt anybody. He was so full of fun.' Mr Swimm was just about to complete welding school and was planning to move to Montana with his best friend when he was killed. 'He was on his way to doing really well,' his mother added. 'But that was ripped away from him.'
