Fact check: Was California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom right about mass shootings since Proposition 63's announcement?
November 4, 2016
By Cory Eucalitto
California’s Proposition 63 proposes a new set of gun and ammunition regulations. In an October 20, 2016 op-ed in the Orange County Register, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who introduced the measure, wrote: "Since we announced Prop. 63, over 10 mass shootings have occurred.”[1]
Newsom announced Proposition 63 on October 15, 2015.[2]
Were there “over 10 mass shootings” between October 15, 2015 and October 20, 2016?
Newsom did not specify whether the “10 mass shootings” he referenced occurred in California or nationwide. Since Proposition 63 would only apply in California, our analysis is focused on the state.
There is no standard definition of “mass shooting” that is used by law enforcement agencies or private groups that track shootings. The FBI does not report on “mass shootings,” only “mass murder.” The state of California reports total firearm homicides, but not “mass shootings.” The period covered by the most recent data also varies.
Two of the private groups that do track “mass shootings” report 42 and 47 in the time period cited by Newsom.
Background
Proposition 63 would:
- Require individuals to obtain a four-year permit from the California Department of Justice to purchase ammunition;
- Establish a misdemeanor penalty for failing to follow existing ammunition dealer licensing requirements;
- Remove an existing ownership exemption for individuals who owned large-capacity magazines (able to accept more than 10 rounds) prior to a 2000 state-wide ban;[3]
- Require courts to inform individuals prohibited from owning a firearm that they must turn their firearms over to local law enforcement, sell their firearms to a licensed dealer, or give their firearms to a dealer for storage.;
- Require ammunition dealers and individuals to report theft or loss of a firearm;
- Make stealing a gun a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.[4]
Newsom developed the ballot measure, and the registered PAC supporting the measure, “Safety for All,” is self-identified as the “Newsom Ballot Measure Committee.”[4] The group’s website states: “Major funding by California Democratic Party and Newsom for California Lieutenant Governor 2014.”[5]
Opposing groups include “Stop Prop 63” and “The Coalition for Civil Liberties.”[4] According to its website, the Coalition for Civil Liberties — No On 63, is “a project of the California Rifle & Pistol Association. Major funding is provided by the NRA Political Victory Fund & NRA Institute for Legislative Action, according to the group’s website.[6]
California currently regulates firearms in the following ways, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (a pro-Proposition 63 group):
- Requires all gun sales to be processed through a licensed dealer, including a background check for all purchasers;
- Bans most assault weapons and .50 caliber rifles, and prohibits the sale or transfer of large capacity ammunition magazines;
- Requires all firearms purchasers to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate, after passing a written test;
- Limits handgun purchases to one per person per month;
- Imposes a ten-day waiting period prior to the sale or transfer of a firearm;
- Maintains permanent records of firearm sale.[7]
Definitions
The FBI does not report on “mass shootings.” For decades, it has reported on “mass murder,” defined as “a number of murders (four or more) occurring during the same incident, with no distinctive time period between the murders.”[8][9]
A 2013 law setting the criteria for federal agencies to assist state and local investigations defined “mass killings” as “3 or more deaths in a single incident.” However, that definition relates only to the application of the statute.[10]
Tracking
A number of private sources do track “mass shootings.” Some employ the FBI’s definition for “mass murder” (four or more deaths), but they vary on how they account for motive, non-fatal injuries, the death of the shooter, and police shootings.
Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit whose goal is to “provide free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States” defines “mass shooting” as “FOUR or more shot and/or killed in a single event [incident], at the same general time and location, not including the shooter.”[11]
By this measure, there were 42 mass shootings in California between the announcement of Proposition 63 and the publication of Newsom’s op-ed (October 15, 2015 and October 20, 2016, respectively). A total of 24 shootings resulted in 52 deaths.[12]
MassShootingTracker.org, whose contributors advocate gun control, defines “mass shooting” as “an incident where four or more people are shot in a single shooting spree,” and may include the gunman himself, or police shootings of civilians around the gunman.”[13]
According to this definition, there were 47 mass shootings in California between October 15, 2015 and October 20, 2016. A total of 29 shootings resulted in 63 deaths.[14]
Fazit
In an October 20, 2016 op-ed, California Lt. Gov. Newsom claimed that there had been “more than 10 mass shootings” since he announced Proposition 63 on October 15, 2015. Neither the federal government or state of California tracks “mass shootings,” nor have they reported data on “mass murders” in the period referenced by Newsom. Two of the leading private groups that track “mass shootings” have reported totals of 42 and 47 mass shootings in California during the relevant period.
See also
- California 2016 ballot propositions
- California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban (2016)
- Gavin Newsom
- Fact check/Does an increase in the number of propositions on the ballot in California lead to more of those propositions being rejected by voters?
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2024, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
Sources and Notes
- ↑ Orange County Register, “Guest commentary: Prevent gun violence by voting for Proposition 63,” October 20, 2016
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, “Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead California gun control ballot initiative,” October 14, 2015
- ↑ California Legislature, “Penal Code, Section 16740,” accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ballotpedia, “California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition on Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban (2016),” accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ SafetyforAll.com, "Yes on Prop. 63, Safety for All," accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ StopTheAmmoGrab.com, “Coalition for Civil Liberties,” accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, “Gun Law Scorecard, California, 2015," accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ FBI.gov, “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators,” accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ FAS.org, “Congressional Research Service, Mass Murder with Firearms: Incidents and Victims, 1999-2013,” July 30, 2015 (pg. 2)
- ↑ Congress.gov, “Public law 112-265, January 14, 2013,” accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ Gun Violence Archive, “Methodology,” accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ Gun Violence Archive, “Mass Shootings,” accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ MassShootingTracker.org, “About,” accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ MassShootingTracker.org, “Data,” accessed November 3, 2016
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