BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

Breaking

Edit Story

Here’s Why Warm Weather Causes More Violent Crimes—From Mass Shootings To Aggravated Assault

Following

Topline

Almost 90 mass shootings have occurred since June 1—about a quarter of all mass shootings this—and experts believe the correlation between warm weather and aggression are to blame.

Key Facts

As of July 5, there have been 35 mass shootings since June 21—the first day of summer—and 86 since June 1, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

The summer months have already made up about a quarter of all 356 mass shootings that have occurred in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive’s database.

There were 17 mass shootings over the Fourth of July weekend alone in states like Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, California and New York, resulting in 18 deaths and nearly 100 injuries.

The deadliest shooting over the weekend happened in Philadelphia, where five people were killed and two injured after a shooter opened fire across three locations in a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood.

President Joe Biden responded to this uptick in gun violence on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to “address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart,” and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Big Number

278. That’s how many mass shootings occurred in the summer months of 2022, between June and September, according to the Gun Violence Archive’s mass shooting database. The mass shootings that occurred during this time period make up 86% of all 324 that happened in 2022.

Key Background

A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Public Health looked at mass shooting trends in the years between 2013 and 2015 and found that mass shootings increase during the summer months, which researchers believe indicates a “seasonal influence.” A 2014 special report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics looked at seasonal patterns and criminal trends. The report found violent crimes (like murder, rape and aggravated assault) are more likely to happen during the summer than any other season. It’s been long believed that heat increases aggression. A 2021 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research followed violent crime patterns in 36 correctional facilities. The researchers discovered that days with high heat saw an increase of 18% in violence among inmates. Hot weather increases body temperature, which in turn increases heart rate and blood pressure. Increased blood pressure and heart rate can lead to discomfort, which researchers attribute to the correlation between high heat and increased anger and violence. More free time to spend outside during the summer is another reason for the increased crime rates, according to Gifford’s Law Center. Among the youth, there are more opportunities to act violently during the summer because school is out. There are 20 additional gun homicides of teens and kids during each summer month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research.

Tangent

The connection between higher temperatures and increased rates of crime disproportionately affects urban, formerly redlined areas where minorities make up the majority of the population. Redlining is a discriminatory practice used to prevent minorities from acquiring certain services, like mortgages or loans, solely on the basis of race. In 2020, researchers examined 100 formerly redlined neighborhoods and found 94% of the cities included in the study reported higher temperatures in formerly redlined areas. A 2021 study published in the Lancet found a correlation between high temperatures and increased rates of crime in impoverished, formerly redlined neighborhoods in Los Angeles. This can be attributed to the lack of trees and greenery, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports are on the decline, with urban communities losing about 175,000 acres of tree cover per year. By providing shade, trees lower temperatures—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports shaded areas can be between 20 and 45 degrees cooler than unshaded areas.

Further Reading

4 Killed In Louisiana In 17th Mass Shooting Over July 4 Weekend (Forbes)

Five People Killed And Two Injured In Philadelphia Mass Shooting, Suspect In Police Custody (Forbes)

Biden Responds As Dozens Shot In July 4 Mass Shootings (Forbes)

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInSend me a secure tip