Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg What causes mass shootings? (with Ragy Girgis)
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Nov 5, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Dr. Ragy Girgis, a Psychiatry Professor at Columbia University and expert on mass violence, delves into the complex causes of mass shootings. He explores how media coverage can amplify the fame-seeking motives of perpetrators, the limited role of severe mental illness, and the societal factors driving public mass murders. Girgis emphasizes the need for targeted prevention efforts, such as specific psychiatric profiling and robust gun regulations, to effectively address the underlying issues of violence.
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Three Traits Define Most Public Shooters
- Public mass shooters share a three-part psychological profile: severe nihilism, toxic narcissism (infamy-seeking), and firearm fascination.
- Firearm affinity is often an active motivator, not merely a convenient tool.
Guns Enable The Public Mass Murder Phenotype
- Shooters often choose firearms because guns link to suicide, attention, and cultural fascination.
- Without firearms the motivation for public mass murder would be far lower by orders of magnitude.
Most Weapons Used Began As Legal Firearms
- Almost all guns used in mass murders originate from legal manufacturers; only ~13% are illegal.
- Poor enforcement and lack of registration make tracking and preventing diversion difficult.
