Contrary to claims made by President Obama, mass shootings are not on the rise, according to criminologist James Alan Fox, who appeared on CNN’s The Lead to explain his position.
Tapper said, "In the past week alone, the country has been horrified by the images on our televisions…" He told Fox that President Obama "suggests that mass shootings are on the rise," before positing, "It’s hard to believe [mass shootings aren’t on the rise] when it seems like every week, we’re reporting on another mass shooting."
"We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Barack Obama has called gun violence ‘the new normal’. I should remind you, however, that Bill Clinton once said we should focus on trendlines, not headlines. And the trendline here is flat, even while the population in this country is growing," Fox explained.
He added, "Obviously it’s a horrific event when four, five, 12 people are gunned down. And we should be trying to deal with situations like that, but let’s not think that this is an epidemic. It’s not an epidemic. It happens very rarely."