The Psychology of Mass Shootings

After a mass shooting claimed ten lives this morning at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, President Obama adressed the nation with visible frustration, saying, "[Thoughts and prayers do] not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel, and it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America next week or a couple months from now."
His remarks touch on the now-routine nature of such killings, and the widespread frustration with the inevitable political stalemate over the issue of gun control that follows them.
KBOO's news director Jenka Soderberg spoke with Professor Eric Mankowski of Portland State University about the impact of these mass murders on our collective psyche.