Vox Sentences - Are mass shootings uniquely American?

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Hello, 

Today, Sentences will focus on last night’s tragic shooting in Lewiston, Maine, and the Israeli military's raid in Gaza. 

—Rachel DuRose, Future Perfect fellow

The factors that led to the Lewiston shooting are deeply ingrained in US society

Police search for the shooter in the Lewiston, Maine, killings, on October 25. Robert F. Bukaty/AP

At least 18 people have been killed and up to several dozen were injured in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Wednesday evening, a bowling alley and bar were targeted by the shooter, who has not yet been apprehended by police. The person of interest in the shooting is a 40-year-old firearms teacher and US Army reservist. 

The lowdown: Law enforcement has asked residents of Lewiston and the surrounding areas to shelter in place while the shooter is still at large. Here’s what we know thus far:

• The Lewiston shootings occurred around 7 pm at a bowling alley, and a bar and grill. The sheriff’s office released a photo of the suspect; officials have asked the public for help in finding him.
  
  
• This shooting was one of several hundred mass shootings this year. Several mass shootings occurred this week, including in Colorado, Chicago, and Louisiana. No other high-income country suffers such a high death toll from gun violence. Every day, around 120 Americans die from gun violence, an average of 43,375 per year. 

• Last year, Congress reached a deal on limited gun reforms for the first time in nearly 30 years. The reform came after the shooting at Uvalde Elementary School in Texas  — the deadliest school shooting since 2012. 

The stakes: An expansive view of civilian gun ownership has been ingrained in US politics, culture, and law since the nation’s founding. Because of that, federal lawmakers have been hesitant to stop the violence, write Vox reporters Nicole Narea, Li Zhou, and Ian Millhiser.  

Many red states have loosened their gun laws over the last few years. In Maine, not all gun sales are subject to background checks. 

“Other countries look at this problem and say, ‘People walking around in the community with handguns is just way too dangerous, so we’re going to broadly limit legal access to that and make exceptions on the margins for people who might have a good reason to have a gun,’” Duke University professor Jeffrey Swanson told Vox. “Here we do just the opposite: We say that, because of the way that the Supreme Court interpreted the Second Amendment, everybody has the right to a gun for personal protection, and then we tried to make exceptions for really dangerous people, but we can’t figure out who they are.”

Read Nicole, Li, and Ian’s full story here. 

Last night, Israeli troops entered Gaza  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters on September 22, 2023, in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered Gaza last night to conduct a raid. The operation, which involved the use of tanks, may have been part of preparations for Israel’s expected ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.  

• Israeli troops briefly entered northern Gaza overnight to target and eliminate “terrorist infrastructure.” Among other things, Israel tried to destroy anti-tank weapons. As Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp writes, smaller incursions could take the place of a full ground invasion: “[Israel] should employ airstrikes and special forces targeted at high-value Hamas targets paired with limited mass ground operations,” he writes. [Vox]
  
  

• The operation follows a series of airstrikes that have killed more than 6,500 people (the majority of them women and children) in Gaza. The blockaded territory was targeted by more than 250 airstrikes in the last 24 hours. [AP]

• This is not the full ground invasion Israel plans to launch. Israel agreed to delay the next phase of its military operation to give the US time to set up air defense systems in the region (which are intended to protect US troops stationed in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). [The Wall Street Journal]

If you have questions about the ongoing war, let us know here. And here’s where you can keep track of all our developing coverage.

• The UAW announced a tentative labor agreement with Ford. The agreement comes after a 41-day strike by union members (including 20,000 from Ford) against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. It includes an 25 percent wage increase over 4.5 years, plus a $5,000 ratification bonus, and cost-of-living adjustments. [Detroit Free Press]
   

• Unionized hotel workers were arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, after blocking traffic with their rally. The police say they arrested 58 people — who were protesting for a new union contract — for disturbing the peace. [AP] 
   

• Sam Bankman-Fried will testify in the fraud trial against him and his bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. There was endless speculation as to whether or not the disgraced founder would take the stand, given that throughout his trial, his past words — whether via interviews or tweets — have landed him in hot water. [Slate]

3 winners and 3 losers from the House speaker circus

The RSV shot shortage isn’t just a supply problem

Why Jonathan Majors’s assault arrest is so disturbing

What unites the global protests for Palestinian rights

Today’s crossword

Enjoying the Sentences newsletter? Forward it to a friend, they can sign up for it right here. 

As always, we want to know what you think. We recently changed the format of this newsletter. Any questions, comments, or ideas? Write us at newsletter@vox.com or just reply to this email. 

This email was sent to you. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.

View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.

Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.