Mass Shooters, Misplaced Blame, and the Weaponization of Race: A Call for Gun Reform and Racial Justice in America

In the aftermath of the high-profile assassination of far-right political figure Charlie Kirk, America is once again spiraling into a familiar and dangerous cycle — one where Black communities are being targeted, surveilled, and threatened, despite having no connection to the violence.

Across the country, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)have reported a wave of death threatsdirected at students and staff, prompting evacuations, increased campus security, and emotional trauma for entire communities. These threats — driven by baseless speculation and racial scapegoating — come in the wake of an act committed not by a Black person, but, as has been the trend, by a white male assailant.

In a viral video now circulating on social media, a white woman bravely confronts this disturbing trend. She methodically runs through a list of America’s most infamous mass shooters and domestic terrorists, and points out a fact that remains wildly underdiscussed in national conversations: roughly 90% of them are white men.

The facts back her up. According to data from The Violence Project, two-thirds (66%) of mass shootings since 1966were carried out by white men. Some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history — Las Vegas (58 killed), Sandy Hook (26 killed), Uvalde (21 killed), and Charleston (9 killed at a Black church) — were all perpetrated by white men.

Despite this, Black communities are consistently over-policed and blamedafter acts of violence they did not commit. This racialized response is not only factually wrong — it’s dangerous.

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, threats against Black Americans — particularly at HBCUs — surged, despite no connection between Black communities and the crime. This is not the first time this has happened, and it likely won’t be the last unless we break the cycle.

Let us be unequivocal:
We had nothing to do with this. Leave us out of it.

What’s most alarming is that these threats and racial deflections are happening instead of serious national conversations about gun reform, white male radicalization, and domestic terrorism.

Whenever a white male commits mass violence, media narratives quickly shift toward mental health, personal struggle, or “lone wolf” excuses. But when violence is merely associated with Blackness — even inaccurately — entire communities are punished.

Black Americans are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, despite being significantly less likely to commit mass shootings or domestic terrorism.

Instead of accountability, we get militarized policing. Instead of justice, we get fear-based policies. And instead of fixing the problem, we get deflection — often at the expense of innocent Black lives.

The time for “thoughts and prayers” is long gone. This is not just a gun issue or a political issue — it’s a moral and racial justice issue. It’s about who gets blamed, who gets protected, and who pays the price.

Here’s what must happen now:

• Pass strict, enforceable gun control legislation: universal background checks, mandatory waiting periods, and an assault weapons ban are basic first steps.
• Label and treat white domestic terrorism as the #1 threat it is, per the Department of Homeland Security.
• Protect HBCUs and Black communities under federal law when targeted by hate threats and political scapegoating.
• Stop the racial deflection: The data is clear. The violence is overwhelmingly committed by white men. Ignoring this fact only ensures it will happen again.

This is a moment of reckoning — and silence is not neutrality. It is complicity.

Black communities are not your scapegoat. We are not your distraction. We are not responsible for violence we did not commit.

Leave us out of it. And start addressing the real problem.

Watch the Report

https://youtu.be/g8phCp8DFDY?si=xF8UjkxdrqU70dut