I’ve been expecting this day since I started writing for websites last year; another shooting and another blame game is being played. This weekend there were two mass shootings, both in the continental US, and both with automatic weapons. However, at this point, only one US Representative has blamed games as the cause of all these issues. Republican House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, appearing as the booked guest for Fox News’ live coverage following the events in Texas and Ohio, states that games are “dehumanize individuals.”

The interview followed the comments of Texas’ 42nd Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, who cites the great number of studies that claim games are manipulating and those that do not. The issue with citing both studies is the P-value or Probability Value. This hypothesis is often used to determines the validity of the study performed, checking those that have been tested, checking the conditions of the study, and allows for peer review of the study on a larger scale. To make that short and understandable, can the study be repeated and garner the same results? If yes, then said the study is good. If not, then it’s not OK.

Here's part of Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick's appearance on Fox & Friends, where he uses the El Paso shooting to call for federal government intervention in the video game industry, more prayer in schools, and more saluting the flag, among other things. pic.twitter.com/8xqkEyvvH7

— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) August 4, 2019

Many of the studies cited did not receive a great P-value, though Mr. Patrick went on to state, “How long are we going to let, for example, and ignore at the federal level particularly, where they can do something about the videogame industry?” He goes on to state, “In this manifesto, that we believe is from the shooter, he talks about living out his ‘super-soldier’ fantasy on Call of Duty,” said Patrick. He went on to claim, “We’ve always had guns, we’ve always had evil, but what’s changed when we see this rash of shooting? And I see a videogame industry that teaches young people to kill.”

In McCarthy’s interview with Maria Bartiromo, Bartiromo is the one to goad the House minority leader into speaking about videogames. McCarthy also states, “I’ve always felt that is a problem for future generations and others. We watch from studies shown before of what it does to individuals,” meanwhile, citing no specific study. He continued, “When you look at these photos of how it took place, you can see the actions within videogames.” To which one would argue these same scenes are played out in movies too.

These comments come following the events in El Paso, Texas where a suspected gunman, Patrick Crusius, shot and killed 20 individuals in a Walmart. 26 individuals have so far walked away with non-fatal injuries. Just over twelve hours later in Dayton, Ohio at the entrance of Ned Peppers Bar in downtown Dayton at 1:05 AM local time, suspected gunman Connor Stephen Betts, shot and killed 9 people before being shot and killed by police himself. Betts was killed 30-seconds after opening fire.

At the time of writing, officials say they have searched Betts’ place of residence and found no racial or political motives. However, they have claimed to have found writings by Betts, describing his desire to kill people for a while. One classmate of Betts also stated he wanted to commit a mass shooting at school back in 2010-2011. US Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “bring the Senate back tomorrow,” and asking for some measure of background checks when an individual buys a gun.

Patrick Crusius, at the time of writing, is in police custody. ABC News’ Joshua Hoyos claims in a tweet that two law enforcement officers told him Crusius said: “He wanted to shoot as many Mexicans as possible.”  According to fact-checkers at Bellingcat, “His Twitter profile, left fallow since April 2017, suggests that at that time he projected the image of a relatively normal Trump-supporting Republican.” Officials investigating Crusius are confident that a manifesto published on the website 8Chan’s /pol/ board was from Crusius. The piece, published 27 minutes before the attack, was titled “The Inconvenient Truth.”

The manifesto states, “In general, I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.” Meanwhile, the manifesto cites the conspiracy theory of “The Great Replacement,” as promoted by French writer and white nationalist Renaud Camus in his book, Le Grand Remplacement. The New York Times has characterized the manifesto as “racially extremist.”

Many have made public statements on the matter. The President said it was an “act of cowardice,” and “A hateful act.” He also went on to offer “total support,” and the usual, “Heartfelt thoughts and prayers.” The president also stated that all US flag, at home and abroad, will be flown at half-mast until sunset August 8th. Texas Senator Ted Cruz gave a written statement, “My heart is with everyone in El Paso struck by this unspeakable evil.” 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke cut his campaign tour short and returned to his home of El Paso.

In Dayton, Ned Peppers Bar posted on Instagram, “All of our staff is safe[,] and our hearts go out to everyone involved as we gather information.” The President continued to display thoughtfulness to the situation with, “God bless the people of El Paso Texas. God bless the people of Dayton, Ohio.” The Mayor of Dayton, Nan Whaley, thanked the officers for their rapid response. Meanwhile, Pope Francis, during his speech on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square condemned both attacks, claiming to be spiritually close with the victims, the wounded, and the families afflicted by the tragedy.

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