There’s an unfortunate confusion that exists when talking about mass shootings in America. This confusion is reinforced by politicians and the media, each pushing their own agendas and biases.
Some have erroneously claimed it’s a mental illness issue. I’m not being pedantic when I say we should not confuse mental illness with other, related concerns, such as psychological distress. The two are very different things. A person can be under psychological distress and still not have a mental illness.
Here’s why the distinction is important and why sloppy reporting by both journalists and law enforcement paint a false connection between mental illness and mass shootings.