

mass shootings, by prior signs of shooter's mental health issues 1982-2021
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This figure is underreported though, as it excludes the multiple semi-automatic (and fully automatic) rifles used in the 2017 Las Vegas Strip massacre – the worst mass shooting in U.S.

Since 1985 there has been a known total 49 mass shootings involving rifles, mostly semi-automatics. While any definition of assault weapon is contentious, semi-automatic rifles are generally the main focus of debates around this issue. Owing to their use in several high-profile mass shootings, there has been much public discussion over suitability or necessity of assault weapons for the purpose of self-defense. The involvement of semi-automatic rifles in mass shootings These figures are calculated from a total of 125 reported cases over this period, meaning handguns are involved in about 78 percent of mass shootings. Handguns are the most common weapon type used in mass shootings in the United States, with a total of 146 different handguns being used in 98 incidents between 1982 and November 2021.
