On Friday afternoon in Virginia Beach, a long-term government employee, who had only resigned via email hours before, went on a shooting rampage in a municipal building that left 12 dead. The killer took the lives of innocent coworkers who were husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors. It is yet another act of brutality that will be added to the list of mass shootings that have taken place in the United States.

The horror spurred talk of gun control and once again ignited discussion around the application of blame. Following incidents like this, there is a desire, however wrong, to pin at least some of the responsibility on politicians or organizations like the National Rifle Association.

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