Ultimate Attribution Error with Thousand Oaks suspect

The media’s portrayal of the suspected shooter who killed 12 people at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California once again highlights the different coverage given to white male shooting suspects. Headlines like “Former roommate of Thousand Oaks shooter Ian Long says he's 'not a bad person'” by NBC News and the New York Post headline “California shooter Ian David Long was a ‘weird’ loner, danced in garage” dominated media coverage. Other headlines also speculated that the shooter suffered from PTSD and may have contributed to the shooting. This type of coverage is an example of the ultimate attribution error that we have discussed in class. While white male shooters’ actions are explained away by mental illness and other external factors, people of color who commit acts of violence have their actions explained away by internal causes such as supposed “inherent traits” particular to an oppressed group. This type of coverage leads to continued stereotypes about marginalized groups and excuses the actions of members of the dominant group.