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>>> EXACTLY ONE WEEK AGO THIS
MORNING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE
WAKING UP AND GETTING READY TO
GO TO A COUNTRY MUSIC CONCERT IN
LAS VEGAS.
NONE OF THEM HAD ANY IDEA OF THE
HORROR THAT WOULD RAIN DOWN ON
THEM FROM THE 32nd FLOOR OF A
LAS VEGAS HOTEL, THE DEADLIEST
MASS SHOOTING IN MODERN U.S.
HISTORY.
AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK AND
DISBELIEF, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
NOW ASKING WHY?
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
HOW COULD WE MAKE SENSE OF YET
ANOTHER SENSELESS TRAGEDY?
HERE'S HARRY SMITH.
>> THERE'S A SHOOTING.
THERE'S A SHOOTING.
>> WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?
WHEN DO WE LOOK AT IMAGES LIKE
THE ONES WE WITNESSED THIS WEEK
AND SAY, ENOUGH ALREADY?
>> OH!
>> Reporter: THE HORROR.
THE GRIEF.
THE BROKEN BODIES.
THE SHEER SENSELESSNESS OF THE
MAYHEM.
AT SOME POINT WE WILL BECOME
INOURED TO THE VIOLENCE.
PERHAPS WE ALREADY ARE.
LEST WE GET OVERWHELMED BY THE
EVENTS IN LAS VEGAS THIS WEEK,
FACT IS MASS SHOOTINGS WHERE
FOUR OR MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED
ARE RELATIVELY COMMON.
THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 1500
MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA SINCE
THE DAY FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN 20
SMALL CHILDREN AND 6 ADULTS WERE
KILLED AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL.
YET MASS SHOOTINGS MAKE UP BUT A
FRACTION OF THE GUN DEATHS THIS
YEAR.
>> THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS IN SHOCK
THIS MORNING, MATT.
>> THE LATEST HORRIFIC MASS
SHOOTING.
>> ELEMENTARY, UNTHINKABLE
ATTACK ON YOUNG CHILDREN.
>> Reporter: WE KILL ABOUT
30,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY WITH
GUNS.
MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT NUMBER GET
INJURED.
JUST OVER HALF THE DEATHS ARE
SUICIDES.
ABOUT 12,000 OF THE GUN DEATHS
EVERY YEAR ARE HOMICIDES, AND AT
LEAST HALF OF THOSE ARE YOUNG
MEN, MOSTLY YOUNG BLACK MEN.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 MILLION
GUNS IN AMERICA OWNED BY
ABOUT 1/3 OF US.
MILLIONS MORE ARE SOLD EVERY
YEAR.
GUNS ARE PRETTY EASY TO GET.
THERE ARE PLACES IN OUR COUNTRY
WHERE IT'S HARDER TO VOTE OR TO
GET MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT THAN
IT IS TO BUY A GUN.
THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
HAS DECLARED GUN VIOLENCE A
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, LIKE AIDS
OR ZIKA OR THE FLU.
THINK OF GUN VIOLENCE LIKE A
VIRUS FOR WHICH THERE IS NO
IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM.
DESPITE THAT FACT, THE CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL HAVEN'T DONE
A SERIOUS STUDY OF GUN VIOLENCE
IN DECADES.
SOMEHOW, IT SEEMS, WHEN THEY TRY
TO MOUNT A SERIOUS STUDY OF GUN
VIOLENCE, THE FUNDING GETS
BLOCKED BY CONGRESS.
YES, BLOCKED BY CONGRESS.
>> THERE'S A SHOOTING.
THERE'S A SHOOTING.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
>> Reporter: IMAGINE A COUNTRY
BESET BY AN EPIDEMIC, AN
EPIDEMIC IT CHOOSES NOT TO
TREAT.
>> HARRY JOINS ME NOW HERE.
HARRY, POWERFUL PIECE.
IT REALLY ILLUSTRATES THE
REALITY THAT WE LIVE IN NOW.
>> WELL, THE THING IS AS IT
UNFOLDED LAST SUNDAY NIGHT AND
INTO MONDAY AND WE WATCHED AND
THERE WAS THIS FEELING OF
HELPLESSNESS, RIGHT?
WHAT DO WE KNOW FOR SURE?
AMA SAYS THIS IS AN EPIDEMIC.
AT LEAST STUDY IT.
AT LEAST OPEN THE DOOR TO SOME
ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE DATA, SEE
WHAT IT CAN TELL YOU.
I'M SO OLD I REMEMBER WHEN THEY
SAID, WE'RE GOING TO START
PUTTING SEAT BELTS IN CARS,
RIGHT?
PEOPLE SAID, THIS IS -- THIS IS
UNTHINKABLE.
THIS IS RESTRICTIVE.
THIS IS -- THIS IS -- I WANT TO
BE ABLE TO SIT IN MY CAR WITHOUT
A SEAT BELT ON.
IS THERE SOME SIMPLER SOLUTION?
WHO KNOWS WHAT THE SOLUTION IS
IN THE END OF THE DAY, BUT
UNLESS WE STUDY IT AND LOOK AT
THE DATA, WE'LL NEVER KNOW.
>> NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON
THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM EVERYBODY
LOOKS AT THIS AND THINKS HOW