Abstract
Over the last few decades, mass shootings have become a much-discussed topic, particularly in the news media.
Dialogue surrounding mass shootings often centers on potential explanatory variables, including a suspect’s
exposure to violent media, such as video games. Historically, video games have been one focus of a moral panic
surrounding various forms of violence. Using data compiled from the Gun Violence Archive and cross
referencing against news stories, the current inquiry explores the extent to which news media are discussing
video games in tandem with recent mass shooting incidents. Video games are discussed with respect to victims,
suspects, or as tied to mass shootings as a greater societal issue. The results indicate that while games remain
part of the national conversation, the tendency to lay blame by media is less frequent than reported in previous
years. The subsample of cases in which video games are mentioned in the news media tend to have suspects
who are younger and have more fatalities than other mass shooting cases. Implications of these findings as well
as potential future directions for research are also discussed.