A Secret Service study of mass attacks concludes that most attackers have a personal grievance in the workplace or other social environment, and about a quarter of them are motivated by conspiracy theories or hateful ideologies. Both scenarios come with predictable, observable patterns of behavior that might help prevent future attacks (given the implied unlikelihood of much being done about the guns they predominantly use in their attacks). NBC News:
The report details 173 attacks that hurt three or more people in public spaces, including churches and schools, from 2016 to 2020. Alathari said the trends could help community leaders know what red flags to spot before someone carries out the next mass attack. … The typical attacker was a 34-year-old man motivated by personal grievances, rather than ideology, the report says. Alathari said the grievances could be "perceived wrongs, most often related to personal issues, maybe health or financial issues, workplace issues, as well as issues with family and romantic partners."
Alas, the flags of a mass shooter, such as spousal abuse and sudden unemployment, are also things the usual suspects don't want to hear about either. Thoughts and prayers it is, then.
