‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ releases mass shooting data analysis

57% of Shootings Involve Domestic Violence; Fewer than 1% of Gun Murder Victims Killed in Mass Shootings; Assault Weapons Put the “Mass” in “Mass Shooting”

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Mayors Against Illegal Guns today released the findings and full data set behind a mass shooting analysis updated to reflect the latest FBI data.  The updated release includes a 25% increase in incidents — to a total of 56 over the last four years, more than one per month — strengthening conclusions about where mass shootings occur, what weapons are used, and what other factors are at play.

Among the key findings:

• In at least 57% of the incidents, the shooter killed a current or former intimate partner or family member.
• Less than 1% of gun murder victims were killed as part of incidents with four or more victims.
• Assault weapons or high capacity magazines were used in 23% of the incidents, and when they were used, more than twice the number of people were shot and 57% more were killed.
• No more than one quarter (23%) of the shootings occurred in public spaces that were so-called ‘gun-free zones.’

“Mass shootings capture the public’s attention – and we should pass the common-sense reforms that will help to prevent these tragedies from occurring – but we should also remember that 33 Americans are killed every day, and very often by an intimate partner,” said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.  “These findings challenge some of the conventional wisdom about mass shooting and highlight the areas in which further attention and research are needed.”

The finding that 57% of mass shootings involve domestic violence is significant.  In separate research using FBI data, Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that in states that require a background check for every handgun sale, 38% fewer women are shot to death by intimate partners.  In contrast, the number of women killed by intimate partners with other weapons is nearly identical in these groups of states.

The full analysis and data set is available here.

Wounded Warriors Family Support’s new Respite Program offers aid to caregivers of wounded Veterans

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — A new program offered by Wounded Warriors Family Support is providing support and assistance to the caregivers of wounded warriors across the country.

The Caregiver Respite Program provides respite and supplemental services to the caregivers and families of wounded war veterans of all eras who have been awarded the Purple Heart and have dependent children.

Caring for a wounded veteran can be demanding physically, psychologically and financially. Often times, caregivers are spouses or family members who have many other responsibilities, such as work, managing bills and taking care of children. Studies have shown that caregivers of veterans often spend long hours caring for their loved one and feel high levels of stress.

Wounded Warriors Family Support respite services include providing secondary caregiver assistance, respite aid for remote areas and short-term temporary relief in the form of child care and other services. The program also provides assistance in enrolling in the Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Services and other agencies offering resources and support.

“We are making sure the family members who were thrust into the role of caregivers are provided with the emotional and psychological support they need to keep their families intact while keeping themselves healthy,” said Wendy Tatro, Wounded Warriors Family Support Respite Program Director. “Our program is designed to work cohesively with the Department of Veteran Affairs and other agencies in providing a respite support system for our nation’s caregivers.”

Applications for the Caregiver Respite Program are available online on the Wounded Warriors Family Support website, www.wwfs.org, under the “Caregivers” tab or by calling (402) 502-7557.

Wounded Warriors Family Support is an independent non-profit organization that provides support to the families of U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations.

New Yorkers beware: Cyber Monday scams lurking on biggest online shopping day

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2012 (re-print) /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Cyber Monday has emerged in recent years as a convenient way to get great holiday shopping deals from the comfort of your home and avoid having to brave the crowds on Black Friday or rise before daybreak to save money on those must-have gifts. 

However, buyer beware.  Scams abound online, and Cyber Monday is a time to be particularly vigilant about protecting yourself from becoming a victim of online theft.  AARP’s consumer expert, Sid Kirchheimer offers tips on how to shop safely at home on Cyber Monday.

Surfing for gifts in cyberspace can be risky, courtesy of copycat websites that shoppers sometimes visit inadvertently after typing the name of that sought-after item into a search engine.

Although legitimate online retailers pop up on the screen, so do “cybersquatters,” bogus businesses that steal or alter the Internet addresses of well-known companies to launch copycat sites.

Some are simply fronts for scammers to collect shoppers’ credit card numbers. Others actually sell things, but their “incredible deals,” if delivered at all, are usually poorly made knockoffs.

How to Shop Safely Online

• When you click through to a website, carefully read the domain name — the Internet address — that appears at the top of your browser. Beware of any site whose name has even the slightest change from a legitimate online retailer’s — extra words or letters, misspellings — and anything but the usual .com or .org ending.
• Make sure that addresses of ordering pages always begin with “https://” instead of “http://.” The “s” means it is secure.
• Pay attention to disclosures at the bottom of the page. Most legitimate online retailers have a “Contact Us” page with a phone number and physical address, and a “Terms and Conditions” link detailing return policies and such. Bogus websites may lack these pages or have them but not tell you what you need to know.
• Avoid any website that doesn’t provide a physical address, which you can verify by looking up the company on the Internet, or a phone number. Scam sites often allow only for e-mail correspondence, which makes for better hiding in cyberspace. If a phone number is listed, call it to ensure it’s not a fax machine or voicemail with no live operator — two more red flags for a potential scam.
• Watch for “scammer grammar.” Although legitimate retailers may not moonlight for Webster’s dictionary, their websites tend to be absent of the frequent misspellings and grammatical errors of the websites, ads and e-mail of scammers, who are often foreigners with poor command of English or fly-by-nights with little time to spell-check while trying to stay one step ahead of the law.
• Reject any requests for wire transfer payment. It’s the quickest way to lose money, especially if it’s sent overseas. Legit online retailers accept credit cards, which offer you more protection than debit transactions if you need to dispute payment.
• Don’t believe sob stories. Beware of “act now” offers that tell you the seller is a soldier needing cash for possessions before deploying to a war zone or a recent divorcee wanting to unload her former husband’s belongings. These tactics are often bait to empty your wallet; the items typically don’t exist.
• Research the prices. Similar items typically fall into a general price range. If one being offered to you falls way below that range, you need to ask yourself why. The usual answer: Scammers use ridiculously low prices to lure consumers into a bogus bargain.
• Be on guard at online auctions. Lost the winning bid on eBay or another auction website? Don’t be taken in by follow-up e-mails offering the same deal. Scammers often cruise online auction sites to pounce on losing bidders and direct them away from those secure buying environments.