Public mass shootings in the U.S have raised debate on the motivations of perpetrators committing these crimes. Most societies consider criminal acts as forms of deviance that occur when perpetrators seek to achieve various goals. A recent event of national significance that denotes deviance was the mass shooting in El Paso that occurred on 3 rd August 2019 at a Walmart store.
Specify what the form of deviance is. Why is it deviant?
The desire for fame on the part of the El Paso murder perpetrator classifies the incident under the innovation type of deviance. The quest for fame is a natural human instinct achieved through legitimate means that are not considered deviant (Lankford, 2016). However, individuals who seek recognition by engaging in mass shootings and other criminal acts demonstrate an unwillingness to conform to societal rules. Ziyanak and Williams (2014) term this type of deviance as innovation whereby the perpetrator accepts the existing cultural goals but opposes the legitimate approaches to attaining them. Similarly, the El Paso shooting incident highlighted the criminal’s quest for fame through engaging in a deviant act.
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What are the events or “causes” that led to the deviant act?
A hate-filled campaign against immigrants was the main reason behind the El Paso shooting. Specifically, the perpetrator targeted Mexican immigrants in El Paso judging by his admission that the attack was in response to the invasion of Texas by the latter. Additionally, an anti-immigrant manifesto written by the suspect appeared online shortly after the attack as a justification of the heinous act (Murphy, 2019). Overall, a feeling of hatred towards immigrants, especially those of Mexican origin, was the main factor that led to the deviant act.
What were the effects or outcomes (if any) of the deviance? Was anyone harmed? If so, who was harmed? What was the harm?
The significant harm that occurred with the El Paso incident is the feeling amongst immigrants that they were unwanted in the United States. The hate-filled campaign towards Mexican immigrants made them question every aspect they knew about their position in American society. For instance, a majority of the immigrants felt that radicalized White nationalism would escalate to racial discrimination against members of their community (Romero, Dickerson, Jordan, & Mazzei, 2019). Consequently, the immigrants felt like they were under scrutiny from hate groups reinforcing the belief that they were unwanted in the United States.
Who reported the act of deviance? (Note, this is not a question about which news outlet reported the event, but rather who reported the deviance to the proper authorities?
In the wake of the mass shooting, Walmart shoppers at raised the alarm by dialing the police, leading to the surrender and arrest of the perpetrator. The emergency call initiated by the victims of the attack prompted the police to search for the shooter. Also, the shooter’s desire for fame led to his surrender and admission that he had undertaken the heinous act. In hindsight, therefore, a combination of victims’ emergency calls and the shooter’s self-admission helped in informing the relevant authorities about the incident.
Who considers the behavior, belief, etc. as deviant?
There is a consensus among government officials and society members that mass shootings are acts of deviance. Government officials enact laws that curb against criminal acts, including mass shootings. More specifically, criminal law embodies various social norms which, when violated, result in acts of deviance ( Acemoglu & Jackson , 2017). Consequently, the El Paso shooting incident ranks as criminal deviance and is a primary concern to government officials tasked with protecting members of the public from such acts. Also, society considers mass shootings as acts of deviance since perpetrators of heinous crimes tend to violate expectations of peaceful co-existence.
Was the deviant actor sanctioned or punished? If so, what was the form of punishment?
Punishment in the El Paso shooting incident occurred with the subsequent arrest and sentencing of the perpetrator. A newspaper article in the New York Times describes the form of punishment that the perpetrator was likely to receive, stating that prosecutors were seeking to hand him a death penalty (Murphy, 2019). Consequently, the punishment for any deviant act serves as a means of minimizing cases of its occurrence in the future while also establishing social control.
References
Acemoglu, D., & Jackson, M. (2017). Social norms and the enforcement of laws. Journal of the European Economic Association , 15 (2), 245–295.
Lankford, A. (2016). Fame-seeking rampage shooters: Initial findings and empirical predictions. Aggression and Violent Behavior , 27 , 122–129.
Murphy, H. (2019, 12th September). El Paso shooting suspect indicted on the capital murder charge. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/us/el-paso-suspect-capital-murder.html.
Romero, S., Dickerson, C., Jordan, M., & Mazzei, P. (2019, 6th August). It f eels l ike b eing h unted’: Latinos Across U.S. in Fear After El Paso Massacre. The New York Times . Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/us/el-paso-shooting-latino-anxiety.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
Ziyanak, S., & Williams, J. (2014). Functionalist perspective on deviance. International Journal of Human Sciences / Uluslararası İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi , 11 (2), 1–9.
