Fox News asks if video games are to blame for gun violence, rather than guns

Multiple shootings this weekend have left people once again contemplating gun control in the US - and one Fox News host is asking if video games are to blame.

On Friday, a shooting in Milwaukee left 17 people injured. On Saturday, a shooting in Buffalo left 10 dead. Then on Sunday, a gunman opened fire in a California church killing one person, another shooting occurred in Houston killing two people.

These were just three of the more deadly shootings that took place this weekend.

On Sunday Fox Report host, Jon Scott, was joined by former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent Bernard Zapor to speak about gun control following the multiple shootings.

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"It seems like these things have gotten so much worse since video games became so realistic and so violent, have you done research or learned that video games tend to just de-sensitize people to the actual results of pulling a trigger?" Scott asked Zapor.

Although Zapor did not say that video games specifically lead to violent actions, he said that people have become less connected to others because of texting and online communication.

"We're communicating through a medium that was never really intended as a human being, which is online or through texting or these kind of things, we get separated as humans to have that connection that builds, I would say, an inner morality," Zapor said.

Zapor said traditional means of connecting with others, like through church or a large family, are becoming less popular.

Zapor went on to explain that large venues like malls or shopping centers can put safety precautions into place to prepare for a shooting that he calls "rare events".

According to Gun Violence Archive, a total of 202 mass shootings have occurred in the US since the start of 2022.

The US has more mass shootings than any other country in the world. Many Americans have become familiar with shooting protocol.

Earlier this month, a video of children playing baseball and then ducking for cover upon hearing gunshots went viral on social media, indicating the children were trained to handle shooting situations. Last year, a nonchalant reaction to a shooting at a carnival ignited conversation about America's attitude toward shootings.

On Twitter, people replied to Scott and Zapor's commentary on gun violence and video games.

A study in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science found inconclusive results that video games led to violent behavior. Although many psychologists agree that there is no clear link.

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