An ultra-conservative's views on this and that

13 June 2014

Media Matters lies by omission

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes....

Media Matters for America, the supposed liberal watchdog of the conservative media, criticized Charles C. Johnson's debunking of the Everytown statistic of 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, CT.

Let's start with Everytown's statistic, the 74 shootings since Newtown.  This was their methodology:
Data: Incidents were classified as school shootings when a firearm was discharged inside a school building or on school or campus grounds, as documented in publicly reported news accounts. This includes assaults, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Incidents in which guns were brought into schools but not fired there, or were fired off school grounds after having been possessed in schools, were not included. This list includes incidents meeting the above criteria that were brought to our attention after our School Shootings Analysis was issued on February 10, 2014. Incidents were identified through media reports, so this is likely an undercount of the true total.
The last sentence gets me.  Likely an undercount?  With our if-it-bleeds-it-leads news media?  Not likely.

So, the methodology includes firearm discharges in the school buildings, or just on school/campus grounds.  Like in the parking lot.

Here's the list that Everytown compiled:

#

Date

City, State

School Name

Type
1. 1/08/2013 Fort Myers, FL Apostolic Revival Center Christian School K-12
2. 1/10/2013 Taft, CA Taft Union High School K-12
3. 1/15/2013 St. Louis, MO Stevens Institute of Business & Arts College
4. 1/15/2013 Hazard, KY Hazard Community and Technical College College
5. 1/16/2013 Chicago, IL Chicago State University College
6. 1/22/2013 Houston, TX Lone Star College North Harris Campus College
7. 1/31/2013 Atlanta, GA Price Middle School K-12
8. 2/1/2013 Atlanta, GA Morehouse College College
9. 2/7/2013 Fort Pierce, FL Indian River St. College College
10. 2/13/2013 San Leandro, CA Hillside Elementary School K-12
11. 2/27/2013 Atlanta, GA Henry W. Grady HS K-12
12. 3/18/2013 Orlando, FL University of Central Florida College
13. 3/21/2013 Southgate, MI Davidson Middle School K-12
14. 4/12/2013 Christianburg, VA New River Community College College
15. 4/13/2013 Elizabeth City, NC Elizabeth City State University College
16. 4/15/2013 Grambling, LA Grambling State University College
17. 4/16/2013 Tuscaloosa, AL Stillman College College
18. 4/29/2013 Cincinnati, OH La Salle High School K-12
19. 6/7/2013 Santa Monica,CA Santa Monica College College
20. 6/19/2013 W. Palm Beach, FL Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts K-12
21. 8/15/2013 Clarksville, TN Northwest High School K-12
22. 8/20/2013 Decatur, GA Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy K-12
23. 8/22/2013 Memphis, TN Westside Elementary School K-12
24. 8/23/2013 Sardis, MS North Panola High School K-12
25. 8/30/2013 Winston-Salem, NC Carver High School K-12
26. 9/21/2013 Savannah, GA Savannah State University College
27. 9/28/2013 Gray, ME New Gloucester High School K-12
28. 10/4/2013 Pine Hills, FL Agape Christian Academy K-12
29. 10/15/2013 Austin, TX Lanier High School K-12
30. 10/21/2013 Sparks, NV Sparks Middle School K-12
31. 11/1/2013 Algona, IA Algona High/Middle School K-12
32. 11/2/2013 Greensboro, NC North Carolina A&T State University College
33. 11/3/2013 Stone Mountain, GA Stephenson High School K-12
34. 11/21/2013 Rapid City, SD South Dakota School of Mines & Technology College
35. 12/4/2013 Winter Garden, FL West Orange High School K-12
36. 12/13/2013 Arapahoe County, CO Arapahoe High School K-12
37. 12/19/2013 Fresno, CA Edison High School K-12
38. 1/9/2014 Jackson, TN Liberty Technology Magnet HS K-12
39. 1/14/2014 Roswell, NM Berrendo Middle School K-12
40. 1/15/2014 Lancaster, PA Martin Luther King Jr. ES K-12
41. 1/17/2014 Philadelphia, PA Delaware Valley Charter HS K-12
42. 1/20/2014 Chester, PA Widener University College
43. 1/21/2014 West Lafayette, IN Purdue University College
44. 1/24/2014 Orangeburg, SC South Carolina State University College
45. 1/28/2014 Nashville, TN Tennessee State University College
46. 1/28/2014 Grambling, LA Grambling State University College
47. 1/30/2014 Palm Bay, FL Eastern Florida State College College
48. 1/31/2014 Phoenix, AZ Cesar Chavez High School K-12
49. 1/31/2014 Des Moines, IA North High School K-12
50. 2/7/2014 Bend, OR Bend High School K-12
51. 2/10/2014 Salisbury, NC Salisbury High School K-12
52. 2/11/2014 Lyndhurst, OH Brush High School K-12
53. 2/12/2014 Jackson, TN Union University College
54. 2/20/2014 Raytown, MO Raytown Success Academy K-12
55. 3/2/2014 Westminster, MD McDaniel College College
56. 3/7/2014 Tallulah, LA Madison High School K-12
57. 3/8/2014 Oshkosh, WI University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh College
58. 3/21/2014 Newark, DE University of Delaware College
59. 3/30/2014 Savannah, GA Savannah State University College
60. 4/3/2014 Kent, OH Kent State University College
61. 4/7/2014 Roswell, NM Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell College
62. 4/11/2014 Detroit, MI East English Village Preparatory Academy K-12
63. 4/21/2014 Griffith, IN St. Mary Catholic School K-12
64. 4/21/2014 Provo, UT Provo High School K-12
65. 4/26/2014 Council Bluffs, IA Iowa Western Community College College
66. 5/2/2014 Milwaukee, WI Marquette University College
67. 5/3/2014 Everett, WA Horizon Elementary School K-12
68. 5/4/2014 Augusta, GA Paine College College
69. 5/5/2014 Augusta, GA Paine College College
70. 5/8/2014 Georgetown, KY Georgetown College College
71. 5/8/2014 Lawrenceville, GA Georgia Gwinnett College College
72. 5/21/2014 Milwaukee, WI Clark Street School K-12
73. 6/5/2014 Seattle, WA Seattle Pacific University College
74. 6/10/2014 Troutdale, OR Reynolds High School K-12

So Charles C. Johnson analyzed Everytown's list, courtesy of the Blaze:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/10/wow-journalist-attempts-to-debunk-anti-gun-groups-list-of-school-shootings-in-america-since-sandy-hook-heres-what-he-found/

The Blaze article has screen captures of 33 tweets where Johnson disputes the Everytown classification of the shooting that made the list as a school shooting, such as shootings that took place in the parking lot.  At 9 pm.  Involving a dice game and a 19-year-old.

http://abc7news.com/archive/8992648/

By the way, in that incident, police aren't even sure the victim was shot on school grounds, or fled there after being shot.

But then there's this one:

ELIZABETH CITY, NC-Two teenagers are charged in the off-campus shooting of an Elizabeth City State University student.
University police responded to a large crowd outside Williams Hall gym just before 8:00 p.m. Thursday. Investigators determined a student was chased by the four men, who aren't ECSU students, to a public street, Hoffler Street, and was shot there.
Police spotted the suspects' getaway car on William J. and Helen Muldrow Way, near Griffin Hall and the Thomas-Jenkins Building where University Police is housed.
The student remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The two people inside were taken by City police and warrants for attempted first degree murder were obtained for two 17-year-olds: Rayshaun Maurice Baum and Kahari Hopson.
Police say neither of the suspects are ECSU students.
The student remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Wait a minute, the student was chased onto a public street and shot there.  Everytown has already violated their own methodology!


Oh, wait, here's an actual shooting at a school while students were on-campus:

http://wreg.com/2013/08/26/three-men-arrested-in-deadly-north-panola-high-shooting/

(Panola County, MS) Investigators in Panola County have made arrests in the Friday night football shooting that took the life of a North Panola High School student over the weekend.
What’s more disturbing is how investigators say the incident started, and they say it may not end soon.
Three Panola County men face capitol murder charges in the weekend shooting at a football game between North Panola and Tunica.
But what’s more disturbing, authorities say, is this murder’s ties to increased gang activity.
The murder of 15-year-old Roderick Bobo has Panola County authorities vowing law enforcement saturation to fight a growing gang problem they say is responsible for the teenager’s death.
District Attorney John Champion said, “It doesn’t get any more serious than what we’re looking at right now, because our schools are supposed to be a haven for safety.”
Champion said football games are supposed to be fun and safe.
But he blamed some kind of grudge between two gangs for the gunfire, which killed Bobo and wounded two others, that erupted at the football game.
Oh, gang-related.  So not some loner with a gun shooting indiscriminately, but criminals in a criminal organization targeting someone with ties to criminals in a rival criminal organization?  Well, hell, background checks will definitely help with that!

So, anyway, MMFA decides to "debunk" Johnson's debunking.  As part of this debunking, they said:

How Everytown reached the 74 school shooting figure is no mystery. On its website, the gun safety group clearly explains its methodology: "Incidents were classified as school shootings when a firearm was discharged inside a school building or on school or campus grounds, as documented in publicly reported news accounts. This includes assaults, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings."
 Ok, two things here:
  1. Everytown published a shocking statistic about how there's now been 74 school shootings since the shooting in Newtown, CT.  In the fine print, they define school shooting using a broad definition.  It's likely most people will never read the fine print after their emotions are whipped up into a frenzy by the big, scary number.
  2. I've already demonstrated that Everytown violated their own methodology.  They're either did it deliberately, or they were sloppy in collecting their data.  Either way, MMFA excluded part of the methodology when refuting Johnson.  Why?
MMFA's Tim Johnson continues:

The right-wing media has sought to debunk this statistic in order to downplay the prevalence of school shootings. Criticism of Everytown's graphic began on June 10 with a lengthy series of tweets from conservative journalist Charles C. Johnson that purported to debunk many of the 74 shootings as "fake shooting[s]."
Shootings that Johnson believed had been mischaracterized as school shootings included incidents where, in his own words, "A gunman ran onto campus, was chased by police, shot student accidentally," "Honors student shoots self in front of class," and, "Northwest High School principal shot by her ex-husband on campus":
At which point MMFA's Johnson cites the three (just three?) oh-so-offensive tweets from Charles C. Johnson.

Now let's analyze the three MMFA chose for its attempted refutation:


Ok, the first one:
FORT PIERCE — A female student at Indian River State College was shot and injured as a gunman and police traded fire Thursday in the parking lot of the college’s campus, a college spokeswoman said.
The student was injured as police converged on the armed man in the parking lot of the Treasure Coast Public Safety Complex on the college’s campus at 4600 Kirby Loop Road in Fort Pierce.
Michelle Abaldo, the college’s director of institutional advancement, told WPTV NewsChannel5 the woman got in the line of fire and was injured in the shoulder. Abaldo said the gunman was not a student.
So, a person in the commission of a crime runs onto a college campus, exchanges fire with the police, and an innocent bystander is caught in the cross-fire.  Again, how would background checks, metal detectors, and the usual knee-jerk reactions from the gun-grabbers have prevented this?

Next:
CINCINNATI -- After an honor student shot himself in the head in front of classmates Monday morning, the La Salle High School community is shocked, puzzled and hurt.
Oh, so he shot himself?  As in a suicide attempt?  While tragic, how does this qualify as a school shooting?  Other students, teachers, and faculty in the gun-free zone were not the target.  The shooter was targeting himself, which, frankly, he can do anywhere.  If he's doing this at school, it's to make a statement and/or attract attention.

Lastly:

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.- Almost two weeks before school starts, the assistant principal at a Montgomery County high school was found shot to death.
Pamela Cooper was found shot to death in her ex-husband's pickup truck Monday night.
On Tuesday, authorities in Montgomery County caught Andrew Cooper, a Northwest High school economics teacher and boy's basketball coach.
Cooper was charged with killing Pamela Cooper, assistant principal at Kenwood High School.
The pair taught at local high schools in Clarksville, where the shooting has had a huge impact on the community.
Andrew Cooper had succeeded longtime basketball coach Willard Ross, who retired in 2006. In June, Ross was shot and killed as he worked in his family's fireworks stand in Clarksville. A grand jury indicted two suspects for his shooting death.
As the community continued to heal from Ross's death, now residents are trying to make sense of Cooper's death.
"She was dedicated to our kids," said Kenwood High School Principal Hal Bedell. "She was kind, compassionate."
"She had a great heart and there's going to be a lot of kids who are going to be devastated by this," Bedell said.
Pamela Cooper had been assistant principal at Kenwood for nearly three years. She began her career as a biology teacher at Northwest High School.
"I don't know how you describe it, it's just unreal," said Kate Lewis of Northwest High School.
Lewis said most people were aware that they divorced last year, but were unaware of any problems. The couple was very involved in the community and focused on their careers. Pamela Cooper was in the process of getting a doctorate.
"We'll pull together and we'll get through this together," Bedell said.
Administrators at Kenwood High School said they will help investigators by providing any information that they need.
Schools in Montgomery County start Thursday, Aug. 9.

Alright, I have to give MMFA's Tim Johnson credit on this one:  Johnson's tweet is not supported by the link in one aspect.  The news story does not explicitly state the pickup truck was on school grounds.  So I used this thing called Google and found the follow-up story here:

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/6830572/hs-basketball-coach-charged-in-wifes-killing

WOODLAWN, Tenn. - After almost 17 hours of being on the run, police have caught Northwest High School basketball coach Andrew Cooper.
He was wanted for the shooting death of his ex-wife Pamela Cooper.
Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies said Monday night Andrew Cooper, 44, kidnapped his ex-wife from her home, tied her up and put her in his truck. He drove a short distance when witnesses said he shot and killed her.
Deputies caught Cooper hiding in a ditch near the woods off Lylewood Road in Woodlawn.
As he was cuffed and strapped to the stretcher the Northwest High School Basketball coach sobbed, but didn't say much.
Andrew Cooper was treated at Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville for dehydration and released around 4 p.m. Tuesday.
He was taken straight to the Montgomery County Jail where he remained Tuesday night without bond.
Cooper will have his first court appearance Wednesday morning.
He was arrested about three miles from where investigators found Pamela Cooper.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office was called out to investigate a shooting, which happened before 7 p.m. Monday night in the 3400 block of Lylewood Road in Woodlawn.
According to Ted Denny with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, a felony homicide warrant was issued for Andrew Cooper early Tuesday morning.
Officials said Pamela Cooper's body was found inside Andrew Cooper's pickup truck. She had been shot multiple times in the head.
Neighbors called the sheriff's office after hearing a man and a woman arguing. They claimed to hear screams for help and then a gunshot. When officials arrived on scene, they found Pamela Cooper dead.
Pamela Cooper was the assistant principal at Kenwood High School. Andrew Cooper is the men's head basketball coach at Northwest High School. 
Witnesses told investigators that they saw Cooper head for the woods after the shooting.
Officers were called in to search on foot and from the air. Police believed Cooper had been hiding in the heavily wooded area.
Andrew Cooper succeeded longtime basketball coach Willard Ross, who retired last year. Ross was shot and killed in June as he worked in his family's fireworks stand in Clarksville. A grand jury has indicted two suspects in Ross' killing.
There was no word Tuesday night about funeral or memorial service arrangements for Pamela Cooper.
Wait a minute, I'm confused:  Where's the school where the shooting took place?  Here's a hint:   IT DIDN'T!  It is by definition NOT A SCHOOL SHOOTING!

MMFA, if you're going to attempt to debunk a debunking, at least try to use a story where the shooting was at least on school grounds.

The only tie-in this murder has to a school is that the murderer and his victim were both employed at a school.  If a couple of people who work at the same place go to a bar, get drunk, and get into a fistfight, is it workplace violence?

By the way, we have another violation of Everytown's methodology.

Not sure, who's sloppier?  Everytown, for including such incidents that either stretch or violate their own definition of school shootings, or Media Matters For America, for failing to double-check their facts before attacking Charles C. Johnson for questioning the narrative?
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