Fox News guest draws baseless conclusion that mass shooters 'probably got vaccinated' and 'will come out exactly in tandem with the number of vaccinations'
- A Fox News guest baselessly claimed that rising COVID-19 vaccinations will cause mass shootings.
- "You can be sure they probably got vaccinated," retired NYPD detective Pat Brosnan said of shooters.
- Mass shootings and gun violence overall actually increased during the pandemic.
A Fox News guest baselessly claimed that mass shooters "will come out exactly in tandem with the number of vaccinations" in commenting on a mass shooting at a San Jose, California rail yard on Wednesday.
Retired New York City Police Department detective Pat Brosnan first connected the latest shooting to an overall "lack of enforcement" of laws and a lack of respect for law enforcement. He then claimed, without evidence, that more Americans getting vaccinated will cause more mass shootings, arguing that mass shooters were previously too scared of COVID-19 to commit violence.
"This is a time that I wish I was wrong with my prediction, which I mention to anybody who would listen, that once COVID starts to lift, these cowardly shooters will come out exactly in tandem with the number of vaccinations. You can be sure they probably got vaccinated, they were just scared to come out," Brosnan said. "And they're coming back. And you see the numbers don't lie, shootings are up dramatically, skyrocketing actually on active shootings in the United States."
Fox News has had a tumultuous relationship with accurate information regarding COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
While much of the network's coverage has mirrored the approach of late-founder Roger Ailes in its hyperbolic framing around culture wars, the network also has medical experts and doctors who provide accurate statistics and relatively nuanced assessments of the virus.
However, opinion hosts such as Tucker Carlson have attacked the vaccines with baseless claims about their safety, and Fox News still will not confirm whether their highest-rated anchor has been vaccinated or ever plans to be.
On Tuesday, the network's daytime news programming featured a recurring segment from a Johns Hopkins doctor about the value of vaccines and natural immunity against COVID-19.
The on-the-fly analysis from Brosnan with no evidence to back up his claim marks the latest coronavirus whiplash on the cable news powerhouse.
Authorities confirmed Wednesday that a shooter caused multiple fatalities and injuries at a Valley Transit Authority rail yard in San Jose.
The latest violence in San Jose follows other high-profile mass shootings at a series of spas in Atlanta, a grocery store in Boulder, and a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis, among others.
Contrary to Brosnan's claims, mass shootings didn't slow down during COVID-19 - the pandemic largely took mass shooting events and all gun violence behind closed doors and onto city streets, instead of in spaces like stores and workplaces.
Data from the Gun Violence Archive found that mass shootings, defined as shooting events that kill four or more people, increased from 417 in 2019 to 610 in 2020.
According to the archive, 2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence in two decades, with nearly 20,000 Americans dying of murder, homicide, unintentional, and defensive gun deaths, with an additional 24,000 dying by suicide with a gun.