Wisconsin taking pictures by Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow joins uncommon class: Feminine mass shooters in US are …
The lethal taking pictures at Plentiful Life Christian Faculty in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday has drawn consideration not solely due to the tragedy it precipitated but additionally as a result of uncommon nature of feminine mass shooters. Fifteen-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow opened fireplace on the college, killing a substitute trainer and a scholar earlier than turning the gun on herself. The assault left 5 others injured, two of whom stay in important situation.
Rupnow’s actions are a part of an alarming however uncommon pattern. Based on information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), between 2000 and 2019, solely 3.7% of energetic shooter incidents have been dedicated by ladies. Equally, a Justice Division report on mass shootings, outlined as incidents with 4 or extra victims, reveals that girls have been answerable for simply 2.3% of such assaults from 1966 to 2019.
Actually, within the final 25 years, solely 4 out of 200 mass shootings concerned feminine perpetrators, in keeping with the Violence Prevention Mission. The rarity of feminine mass shooters turns into even starker when inspecting college shootings. Since 1999, solely 9 feminine college students have dedicated such acts, an evaluation by the Washington Put up revealed.
Whereas feminine mass shooters are few, their motivations and habits are sometimes distinct from their male counterparts. Specialists counsel that girls are typically much less pushed by private grievances and extra prone to interact in ideologically motivated assaults or collaborate in groups, reported the New York Put up. Nonetheless, in Rupnow’s case, authorities have discovered troubling indicators of obsession with earlier college shooters, together with the Columbine tragedy.
Rupnow’s social media exercise and pictures posted on her X account confirmed her idolizing infamous figures like Eric Harris of Columbine and even referencing different violent incidents, together with the Parkland and Jokela college shootings. Such influences have led consultants to take a position that feminine perpetrators, whereas uncommon, could also be impressed by male-dominated narratives of college violence.
Jillian Peterson, founding father of the Violence Prevention Mission, commented on the position of copycat habits in class shootings. “Many college shooters examine Columbine,” Peterson informed NPR. “It’s not shocking to see patterns of affect from previous incidents.”
Because the investigation continues, the case of Natalie Rupnow serves as a stark reminder of how uncommon however profoundly impactful feminine mass shooters will be. The tragedy challenges prevailing assumptions in regards to the gender of those that interact in such violence, providing a important alternative to additional examine and forestall future incidents.
