Despite rising numbers, mass shootings still make up a tiny sliver of America's gun violence problem.
"Mass shootings are 1%, maybe 2%, of people who die from gun violence in this country," said Dr. Sandro Galea, an epidemiologist and dean at the Boston University School of Public Health. "At the same time, mass shootings are horrific events that bring home the danger of gun violence."
As an emergency room physician, Wintemute is especially cognizant of the fact that most gun deaths don't fall into the category of mass shootings. On the other hand, both experts pointed out, while killings like in Boulder are less common than routine gun violence or firearm suicide, they tend to have a profound effect on the public and on policymakers.
"Events like this shooting are changing the character of American public life," Wintemute said.
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