# A school shooting just happened in Madison, Wisconsin \[Dec 16, 2024\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721 "2024-12-16T19:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/1 "2024-12-16T19:02:06Z")
However none of the victims were CEOs of powerful companies, so the media will forget all about this by tomorrow. > **[Live updates: Shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin...](https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/abundant-life-christian-school-shooting-madison-12-16-24/index.html)** > > Police in Madison, Wisconsin, are investigating a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School where they say there are multiple reported injuries. Follow here for the latest. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/2 "2024-12-16T19:12:03Z")
Sadly the only response from Republicans will be to offer thoughts and prayers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/3 "2024-12-16T19:18:23Z")
How else to persuade God The Almighty to stop the carnage? Though I doubt there was much thought, only prayer. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/4 "2024-12-16T19:33:31Z")
Another week, another mass shooting in the US. Same, same, not different. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/5 "2024-12-16T19:35:49Z")
The more the media advertises murders, the more there will be murders. That’s the same way you got Trump in the first place, and again. To the extent that they let this go, the better for society. And the faster the media learns that they’re an advertising organization, the better. Talking about Mangione incessantly is just putting other people at risk. Talking about school shootings just teaches kids that it’s a cool thing they can do. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/6 "2024-12-16T19:38:12Z")
If only the woke left would allow schools to post the Ten Commandments, this wouldn’t happen anymore. Wait, I’m hearing that this was a Christian school. Never mind. [/emily litella] ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/7 "2024-12-16T20:08:21Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The more the media advertises murders, the more there will be murders. I question this premise: you seem to be saying that news functions as advertising. I’m sure that’s true to the degree that it makes people consider things they would not otherwise consider, but when I, at least, consider murder, it’s not with an eye toward committing it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/8 "2024-12-16T20:19:41Z")
3 dead (including the shooter) with at least 7 injured is the latest word. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/9 "2024-12-16T20:21:02Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > when I, at least, consider murder, it’s not with an eye toward committing it. But that’s you. Copy cat crimes are a real thing. > **[Copycat crime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copycat_crime)** > > A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modeled after or inspired by a previous crime. It notably occurs after exposure to media content depicting said crimes, and/or a live criminal model. > According to a study, copycat crime is a social phenomenon that persists and is prevalent enough to have an impact on the whole criminal landscape, primarily by influencing criminal tactics as opposed to criminal motive or the emergence of criminal traits. > The copycat effect is the alleged tendency of sen... ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/10 "2024-12-16T20:33:56Z")
I know I’m a dick, but the reason I posted this is that the media will forget about these homicides by tomorrow because the victims were ‘just’ children and not wealthy CEOs. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/11 "2024-12-16T20:37:16Z")
Well, okay, but I have to think the number of people inspired to commit mass murder by a news story is comparatively low, and an acceptable risk vs suppressing the news. I really dislike the idea of keeping information secret because someone _ **might** _ do something. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/12 "2024-12-16T20:47:02Z")
You don’t have to suppress the news, but do what you can to not glorify the suspect. In this case the shooter is dead. There’s no danger to the public. We don’t need to know his name, what he looks like, hear irrelevant stories about him etc. The media doesn’t have to spend the next few days speculating on his motives, discussing any mental issues the he or may not have and so on. Basically, you don’t want someone else to see the media attention (posthumously or otherwise) as a perk of murdering someone. Lets remember the victims and forget the killer. Edit: To be clear, I’m not saying we just drop it all together. There’s a line in there somewhere and I think we need to do more to stay on the “lets not make him famous” side of it when it comes to this type of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/13 "2024-12-16T21:38:59Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > when I, at least, consider murder, it’s not with an eye toward committing it. If “I don’t think that way, thus no one thinks that way” was a correct proposition, then murder just wouldn’t exist, would it? Your argument isn’t very convincing. > **[A guide to responsible reporting on suicide](https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2023/03/10/a-guide-to-responsible-reporting-on-suicide/)** > > By Audrey Thibert This guide was originally prepared by student fellow Isaac Alter in 2018. It was updated in March 2023 by student fellow Audrey Thibert.  More than 50 international studies have found that certain … > **[Mass Shootings: The Role of the Media in Promoting Generalized Imitation](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5296697/)** > > Mass shootings are a particular problem in the United States, with one mass shooting occurring approximately every 12.5 days. Recently a “contagion” effect has been suggested wherein the occurrence of one mass shooting increases the likelihood of ... > **[Mere-exposure effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effect)** > > The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a liking or disliking for things merely because they are familiar with them. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle. The effect has been demonstrated with many kinds of things, including words, Chinese characters, paintings, pictures of faces, geometric figures, and sounds. In studies of interpersonal attraction, the more often people see a person, the more pleasing a Gu... > **[Illusory truth effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_truth_effect)** > > The illusory truth effect (also known as the illusion of truth effect, validity effect, truth effect, or the reiteration effect) is the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure. This phenomenon was first identified in a 1977 study at Villanova University and Temple University. When truth is assessed, people rely on whether the information is in line with their understanding or if it feels familiar. The first condition is logical, as people compare new i In a ... ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/14 "2024-12-16T22:06:41Z")
Just saw a report that the shooter was female, a teacher and classmate are dead, and a number of others are injured. A handgun was used. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/15 "2024-12-16T22:46:01Z")
If that holds up it’ll be a rare bird. Familicides have a decent fraction of female perps. Shooting up a school or workplace? Much lower female perp fraction. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/16 "2024-12-16T22:46:10Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I know I’m a dick, but the reason I posted this is that the media will forget about these homicides by tomorrow because the victims were ‘just’ children and not wealthy CEOs Also, I believe it takes four or more dead children to be considered a real mass shooting worthy of our attention. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere. /s ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/17 "2024-12-16T23:10:00Z")
If CEO shootings were as common as school shootings, would they still be news? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/18 "2024-12-16T23:12:39Z")
“A school shooting just happened in Madison, Wisconsin” … because no laws were passed since the last time. Next. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/19 "2024-12-17T00:52:24Z")
Every time there’s a school shooting, I see and hear this comment: > This is because God was taken out of the schools. Yeah, right. This shooting (along with the last one, too?) was at a Christian school. I guess they had the wrong deity in their school. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721/20 "2024-12-17T01:00:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > If CEO shootings were as common as school shootings, would they still be news? If CEO shootings were as common as school shootings then every CEO would get secret service details. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-school-shooting-just-happened-in-madison-wisconsin-dec-16-2024/1011721.md?page=2)