BLOG

Media Are Pushing Inflated '18 School Shootings' Statistic. Here Are the Facts.

Have there really been 18 school shootings so far in 2018? That’s what a gun control advocacy nonprofit is claiming in the wake of a horrifying school shooting in Florida that left 17 people dead.

But while even one school shooting is a tragedy, using the false statistic of “18 school shootings” is incredibly misleading.

On today’s show, Stu went through each example cited on the list to debunk the fake stat. The “18” number includes not only a shooting at a high school in Benton, Kentuckyearlier this year, but also incidents where one person committed suicide near a school or a gun was unintentionally fired and did not injure anyone.

Watch the full clip (above) to learn why this talking point just isn’t accurate.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: It's Pat and Stu for Glenn.

Still sick. All right. The -- what are the details? Because you hear these things thrown out by the left all the time. This is the 18th time this year we've had a school shooting. It's February 14th -- yesterday -- and already, there's been 18 this year.

Really? Where have I been?

STU: Yeah.

PAT: I guess I haven't checked my Facebook feed in a while.

STU: Well, you know what, Pat, it's not that. It's just, these are so common now. They don't even get reported. People don't even care.

PAT: Yeah. Yeah.

STU: Because it just comes and go. They happen so commonly. That you don't even realize they're going on anymore.

PAT: So I love that statistic. The other than -- we'll talk about this one too, we're unique among nations. This is the only place this happens. Okay.

So the 18 statistic, how are we so stupid and uninformed and ignorant? We didn't even know. I thought this was the first one of the year.

STU: Right. And that you would be wrong for that because there's been 18.

I'm now going to give you the details to all 18 shootings, okay?

PAT: Oh, no.

STU: Are you ready? When you hear 18, these are the 18 they're talking about, okay? What we're talking about are school shootings. What do you think of when you think of school shootings? You think about the one yesterday. That's one of the 18, as we know. So there's 17 others.

January 23rd, in Benton, Kentucky, two people were killed, and another 15 were shot at marshal county high school. So that one I think qualifies (?) as what we think of when we think of a school shooting. It's a mass shooting eventual. (?) now, only two killed. Obviously two more than should be killed. But 15 shot in addition to that. That qualifies as what we think of. And you might say, I may or may not have heard about that. So here's the other. There's 16 others. (?) a fight at a Pennsylvania high school. A 32-year-old man was shot and later died. Okay. Now, that's not a mass shooting event, right? That was a fight that broke out

PAT: It's not the same thing at all.

STU: Not at all what you would think of. Okay. January 20th (?) was shot and killed. Was one player. I don't have all the details of the incidents here. But it was not a mass shooting event.

PAT: That could be a gang bang event. Who knows.

STU: Who knows. But, again, one person being shot is not what you think about when you think about these incidents. (?)

Was wounded by shots by a semi automatic handgun. (?) she was wounded.

PAT: Again, that's not a mass shooting.

STU: Not a mass shooting. And also, wouldn't it make sense that you didn't know about one person being wounded in a shooting (?) that wouldn't necessarily rise to the point of Marilyn national news coverage. Right? Obviously, things happen all the time. They're terrible when they do. But that's not a national news story. (?) was injured in a shooting. Okay. Another injury in the shooting. These are the 18 school shootings that have happened this year, supposedly. February 1st, Los Angeles. Five children were injured in an accidental shooting.

PAT: Definitely not the same thing.

STU: Definitely not the same thing. February (?) injured outside of a high school. One teenager was shot, not killed, but injured outside of a high school. Okay?

Next up, February 5th, maple wood, Minnesota, (?) on a cop's gun. No one was injured. They're counting that as a school shooting. A third grader pulled the trigger on a cop's gun. No one was injured. That is a school shooting to the media.

PAT: Hmm.

STU: February 8th, in New York, a shot was fired inside a metropolitan high school. No one was injured.

On January 25th in Mobile, Alabama (?) no one was injured. On January 26th in Dearborn, Michigan (?) no injuries were reported. Okay?

PAT: That's probably -- that's a drive-by shooting. A lot of these are probably, you know, gang violence or disagreements between people. It's not the same thing at all. It's not even close.

STU: And what on earth would make you hear about a third grader (?) and nobody was injured. Why on earth would you be alerted to that in the media.

PAT: You wouldn't. It's not a story.

STU: You wouldn't. And, of course, none of these media sources that are complaining about the 18 shootings reported something like that. They didn't report about this one either. On January 15th. A bullet (?) dorm room. No injuries were reported. The same day, Texas, bullet was accidentally fired through a classroom wall at a criminal justice sister. No one was injured.

PAT: At a criminal justice sister. (?) that doesn't sound like that's on school.

STU: A gunshot was fired at a high school in Seattle through an office window. No one was injured. (?) shattering a California state university classroom window. No one was injured.

We have two more to go. Do you think so far, there's been 16 shootings I've told you about.

PAT: There's been another one.

STU: One. And a couple bad incidents of things that have existed forever. Mass shooting, there's been one other one. Here's the last two, January 3rd, a man shot himself in a former school's parking lot.

PAT: Suicide is not the same.

STU: And, again, it has -- what law prevents a guy from taking his gun and shooting himself in a (?) you're not allowed to bring the and he did it anyway. There's already a law that should have prevented that. And it didn't happen. Last one, January 10th, a teen killed himself in an Arizona elementary bathroom. Again, not the same thing.

PAT: Not the same thing.

STU: So what you have is the media telling you (?) and what they're including in that is a third grader pulling the trigger of a cop's gun and no one was injured. Almost all those circumstances that I told you about, there were no injuries reported whatsoever. And the media is trotting that stat out, as if it's supposed to make you give up your Second Amendment rights.

That is incomprehensibly disingenuous.

PAT: It's sickening.

STU: As you point out, Pat, it's just a lie. It's just a lie. And, by the way, it comes from a gun control group. An advocacy group for gun control. Now, even they say, there's only been six (?) as I point out, suicides are included in that. You know, some guy who is troubled has a handgun, which no one -- none of this legislation would stop him from having. And he decides he's going to go to a parking lot. (?) and just shot himself in a parking lot. No one else was hurt. And then some of these are insane. Someone getting shot -- a bullet going through a window with no injuries reported whatsoever. Why on earth would that make national news? They know it wouldn't. Nothing occurred.

PAT: Nope.

STU: And yet, they'll still trot this out. You will hear this from dozens of people in the media today. Because they just don't question it. Sadly, I heard it from a student at the school. They're talking about one of the students that survived this incident. And he goes on CNN saying, look, this is the 18th one of these this year. This is the 18th this year. Why don't we do something? Sure, we should do something. But the thing you're suggesting is the thing you can't get accomplished.

RADIO

This Russian nuke warning is HORRIFIC… for an UNEXPECTED reason

Glenn Beck reviews a video of Aleksandr Dugin, known as “Putin’s brain,” warning that nuclear war is inevitable. But this warning from Russia is absolutely terrifying for another reason: it’s NOT REAL …

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Operation Fast and Furious: The TRUE Story of How the Feds were Running Guns into Mexico

The Border Crisis has been ongoing for years, and one of the biggest scandals was the ATF “gunwalking” scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious which occurred during when Barack Obama was President. Glenn Beck talks with John Dodson, the whistleblower who revealed the scandal to get the facts about what happened and why it was a flawed operation from its inception.
Watch the FULL Interview HERE

VIDEOS

Glenn Beck & Piers Morgan REACT to Trump's Iran Strike & What Comes Next

Glenn Beck joins Piers Morgan to react to President Trump's decision to strike Iran's Nuclear Facilities and what could come next with the conflict. Is this just the start of a larger conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, or will this move by Trump put at least a temporary end to the brewing tensions?

RADIO

Meet the pro-Intifada candidate NYC Democrats just elected

New York City Democrats just elected 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a "socialist Muslim", as the Party's candidate for mayor. But Glenn Beck argues that his radical beliefs are actually communist and Islamist.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

VOICE: Z10852. Something weird is going on. The World Trade Center is on fire.

VOICE: Seriously the top of the building. We're trying to get information.

VOICE: Top level of one of the --

VOICE: To unfold from New York City.

VOICE: A plane crashed just --

VOICE: My sister is in that believe. I hope she's okay. I have to come to New York.

VOICE: It's pandemonium.

VOICE: It's raining papers.

VOICE: Wait a minute! Stop just a second. Why are we -- why are we -- I've got breaking news. Breaking news, yesterday. New York City just elected as their mayoral candidate for the left. And the Democrats, a -- a Muslim radical, who is also a communist!

So, you know, it only took you 25 years. It only took you 25 years, New York, to go completely insane.

Somebody who is -- well, I mean, if I might quote Michael malice today. I am old enough to remember when New Yorkers endured 9/11 instead of voting for it.

But you've got a -- you've got a communist jihadist apologist now.

Who was -- you know, well, CAIR put $100,000 behind his bid for New York City mayor.

So you have somebody who is endorsed by CAIR. That's really good.

He also was somebody who said, you know, he was -- he was for the shooting of the United Health Care CEO.

Said he was looking forward to driving down magnum Joan avenue. I don't know. Sounds like supporting people in the streets. Maybe it's just me.

Then he also said that he was going to globalize the intifada, which I think that's -- maybe -- maybe that's just me.

I mean, what do I know?

Tim Miller who is a podcaster. Asked him a few weeks ago. Asked him about his pro Palestinian slogan. Globalized the intifada. And he said, for me, ultimately, what I hear in so many, is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights, in standing up for Palistinian human rights. Oh, is that what you hear, Mr. CAIR?

Really? Huh, that's interesting.

Right. So globalize the intifada.

I mean, I mean, sure, that's -- I mean well, let me go on.

Because I don't want to take him out of context.

He then delved into the semantics of the intifada, citing the United States Holocaust memorial museum's use of a word for a translation for uprising, in an Arabic version of an article, a museum published about the Warsaw ghetto.

Oh!

So this is just a comparison, about the -- the armed rebellion against the Nazis!

I don't know if that makes me feel better!

I mean, if we're globalizing that.

We're the Nazis in this scenario.

Because I don't think it's the Palestinians.

I certainly don't think it's anybody who is like, hey.

Global jihad. I don't think it's those guys.

Or the Nazis. Who are the Nazis in that?

And it seems, if that's what you mean, then it's not just a harmless kind of slogan about human rights. It is a call for violence on the streets.

Because I don't know if you know, that's what happened when the Jews had their uprising against the Nazis.

I'm just saying!

But, hey, hey, free Palestine.

Oh, that's not what that means, gang. That is not what that means, but don't worry about it. He's just going to be possibly the new mayor.

And that's great. By the way, the Columbia faculty members signed a letter defending Hamas.

They were also among the donors to his mayoral campaign.

So, you know, you don't have anything to worry about.

And his father, who used to work at Columbia. Do you know, Stu?

Is his Dad -- is he still a professor at Columbia University?

He said that -- this violent terror thing of Islam, is not a part of Islam. Now, I've read the Koran, and much of the hadith.

And I'm pretty sure the violence is a part of that. But no.

No. This is something entirely new.

And his father while at Columbia university, wanted everybody to know, that this is actually -- this is something that came out of America!

America is really responsible for this.

And, you know, it really started with the Reagan administration, you know, when he started -- when he started with his very religious terms, to finish the war against the evil empire.

So, you know, that's where -- that's where 9/11 came from.

Is what -- don't worry about it! Don't worry about it!

Because who am I? I'm clearly just -- am I an anti-Semite today, or am I an Islamophobic? I can't remember which one.

Oh, it's probably both. Anyway, Islamophobia. Let me just explain Islamophobia. I haven't even gotten to the Communist part of it. Which is really, really -- New York, you're in one for hell of a ride. Buckle up.

It will be a fun rollercoaster for you. My gosh, I've never been happier that I've been away are if New York.

Anyway, I just want I to know, there is Islam. And then there is Islamists. Now, an Islamist is somebody who really wants Sharia law.

That's political Islam!

That's not a faith. That's political Islam.

Now, let me make really -- something really clear. Criticizing Islamism, is not Islamophobia. Pointing out the dangers of, oh. I don't know.

Political Islam. The ideology that seeks to use the tools of democracy, ultimately to destroy democracy, is not an attack on Muslims.

No. Uh-uh.

You know why?

Because Muslims are often the first people in line.

The first victims of the ideology.

So let's draw a bright, bright line between Islam as a faith, millions of people can practice that faithfully and peacefully.

It's mostly peaceful, okay?

Then there's the Islamism.

Islamism is something entirely -- that's a political project.

A theocratic political -- oh. Left loves theocracies. They love it.

Of course, you never see a problem with it.

See it when an Islamist is touting it. Anyway, it's not about prayer. It's not about fasting. It's not about spiritual life.

It's all about power. It's about merging of mosque and state. It's about implementing Sharia, not as a personal code of conduct. But as a governing legal system.

And it's -- it's supremacy.

Absolutely. Faith.

Religion.

It's -- there's one thing that's supreme.

It's misogynistic.

Deeply intolerant of all kinds of things.

Descent. Secularism. Other faiths. Even competing interpretations from inside the faith itself.

It will behead them too.

So let's -- let's be honest here for a second.

You know, CAIR should be labeled an international terror organization.

In my opinion. In my opinion.

Oh, does that make me -- that makes me an Islamophobe. I'm sure. I'm sure they will start a campaign against me on being an Islamophobe.

Stand in line, guys. You've been doing it since 2001, okay?

I don't really care. And I don't think the American people. I think that record, all the grooves are worn-out on that one, okay?

This is not a religion we're talking about. When we're talking about Sharia law. And we're talking about globalize the intifada. What does that mean, actually, to globalize it?

Does that mean we now want to do what is happening to Israel? All over the world?

Has the Palestinian plight become our plight you now, as Americans?

That there has to be an intifada here!

Because it's the kind of the same. You know. It's kind of the same over, you know, with what the Palestinians are going through.

Well, it's very much like what the Jews went through with the Nazis.

That's a weird one. That one makes my head hurt. It's very much the same as that. And very much the same as the fight against Donald Trump.

Oh, this is going to be fun. It's fun!

Really fun. You know, the irony here is, the ones that will scream Islamophobia the most, are the ones in the progressive left, the champions of feminism, LGBTQ rights. And secularism.

They're going to -- no. You want -- they're going to stand with the people, who want to kill them first.

See, this is how smart they are!

This is why it's going to work out well, in New York City.

Let me just say. If you have an ounce of common sense, you run a business, you have an ounce of wealth. And I don't mean wealth like, you know, hey, Lovey.

Let's get on the boat for a three-hour tour with a suitcase full of cash. I mean you saved anything, anything, get the hell out of New York City.

I mean, this is about survival. This is about free speech. This is about women's rights.
Religious pluralism. Secular legal systems. Liberal democracy.

But it's also about failed principles of Communism. Okay?

First, you have to call out political Islam for what it is. Okay?

And we have to do it with the clarity that we call out white nationalism.

Got to do it with that. Got to -- you know, the Klan. Really bad people.

Really bad people.

Anybody who is shouting for globalized intifada?

Pretty bad. Pretty bad people.

Okay?

Now, let's get to communism.

Because that's another cool, cool angle of the new Democratic candidate for -- for mayor of New York City.

That I just -- I think is cuddly and cute. Sure, it led to 100 million deaths. But this time, New York is going to be radically different. Oh, did I use the word radical?

I didn't mean to use that. What's radical about this guy?

Nothing. He's just like you!

Well, not exactly.

But let's talk about communism, next!

Now, the new mayoral candidate that's running there in New York City. That so many young people rushed to defend and vote for. He's promising free buses.

That's going to work out.

Where are you going to get the money for free buses.

It's free!

City-run grocery stores.

Oh, rent freezes. And finally somebody has done it. A 30-dollar minimum wage.

So under the banner of equity. And, you know, we will tax the wealthy. And the corporations. You know, we're going to squeeze another $10 billion out of them.

Really?

Because they're going to call a U-Haul.

You know, they will call something like U-Haul. There will be a lot of -- there will be a lot of movers that are like, how do I get the truck back from Texas or Florida back up to New York? Nobody is moving up there.

But he's going to do it.

Now, his vision isn't really new. You know, just -- just tax people, so we could have city-run grocery stores. You know, I remember -- I'm old enough to remember those city-run grocery stores in Moscow.

They were great.

The shelves were empty.

But that's just Moscow.

It worked out completely different in Venezuela.

Where, oh, no.

It didn't. That's right. The grocery store.

They were eating the zoo animals.

But it will be different in New York.

Because they have rent controls too.

And that will just choke the housing supply, but don't worry. As a young family.

You know, you voted for it.

You know better.

It will work this time.

So, you know, I like building ideas, I just don't like usually building on the graves of 100 million people.

But, you know, why not? Why not?

You know, use this dogma.

And this time, it will be different. It's not like it was in China. Where the great leap forward, was a gross -- a gross parody of progress. Venezuela, which was oil rich. One of the richest nations in the hemisphere now sees 90 percent of its population in poverty!

Yeah. Darn it. You know what they did?

They decided to take state control of things.

You know, like grocery stores. And it worked out well. How is that free busing working out in Venezuela?

I just want to -- I just want to know.

Anyway, then you've got the globalize the intifada. Which is going to drop a little violence in, and anti-Semitism in with your communism.

Which is weird!

Because violence and anti-Semitism, always happen. When it -- when it comes to -- when it comes to communism.

This is weird!

I've got to play something for you. Because this has talked about on me earlier this morning.

Oh, wow.

Wait a minute. This is -- this is the whole coalition coming together here.

So this is going to be good. New York, this is going to be great.

It's going to be great for you.

No. He's going to uplift you. Then the social fabric of New York City is just going to be -- just one.

It's going to be fantastic. Don't worry about your 120 billion dollars in debt. Or your 10 billion-dollar deficit that you have right now.

You are going to charge the rich more taxes, and they will stay right there.

They will be like, you know what, that 46 percent in taxes that I'm paying, this is just not enough. It's just not enough.

I need to pay 60 or 70 percent to be able to pay my fair share. So that's good. That's good. That's good.

You know, they're not risking 100 million people. It's just 8 million people.

This time, it's just 8 million people.

But, hey. For those of you in upstate New York. That aren't going to be part of this experiment.

Don't worry, you get to pay for it. Because they'll kick it up to the state. The state will have to subsidize everything. And don't you love it?

Really, don't you want to subsidize the really crazy ideas of New York City?

I mean, why don't you have a -- why don't you have a democratic socialist. A/k/a communist mayor.

Why haven't you done that? Are you not progressive enough? Are you not looking into the future?

Are you stuck in the past?

I don't know. I don't know. The graveyard is pretty big. I have a hard time getting past that one. You know, yeah, so I'm stuck in the past. Because I can't seem to pass that graveyard, and get to be down the path with you. But it's going to be a paradise.

Forget arithmetic. You know, or human nature. This time, it's going to work. It's going to work. So all right!

Wish I lived in this morning.

No wait. Nope. I don't. Nope, I don't.

And Ted Cruz, stop it. Stop writing, hey, come to Texas. No. No. Don't come to Texas. Don't come to Florida. Go to California. It's beautiful this time of year. Go there. Go there.