Very well written and interesting. While some people put the blame on firearms (lets not turn this into a debate on gun control) i believe that its the media attention that is the biggest culprit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PezlFNTGWv4
Seems like that's the only constant after any sort of horrific tragedy. It becomes grist in the mill for people to push their pre-existing agendas.
For some it has been a push for greater gun control. For others it has been a push for greater funding and understanding of mental health. For others, you blame media attention.
Personally, I view these events as "side-effects" of our society. And we're basically loathe to examine it too deeply as it can call into question some deeply held parts of American culture.
The ulterior motive is to use the situation to disparage something they already don't like.
>‘I have noticed,’ it says, ‘that so many people like him are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are. A man who was known by no one is now known by everyone. His face splashed across every screen, his name across the lips of every person on the planet, all in the course of one day. Seems the more people you kill, the more you’re in the limelight.’
-TFA
Does our media contribute? Absolutely. But they are the way they are because of the way we are. Or at least the way the consumers of media are.
I'm not in favor of gun confiscation (and don't plan on getting into any arguments on gun policy today) but it would be absurd to ignore the technological-economic impact of guns on the production of murder. Suggesting that media eschew reporting the news, even to the point of sensationalizing it, is irrational given both what we know about human behavior and the constitutional safeguards against censorship in the US. To be honest, I think people who blame the media are simply demonstrating their own strong preference for social proof and then projecting that motivation onto murderous individuals. It is very likely a significant factor but I don't think we have anywhere near enough data to conclude that it is a primary motivator.
That people in the US choose guns vs. fire is I'm sure cultural, including fire safety being part of our culture, i.e. the "payoff" will seldom be great.