Gunshots erupted at YouTube's offices in California on Tuesday, sparking a panicked escape by employees and a massive police response, before the shooter -- a woman -- apparently committed suicide. Police said three people had been hospitalized with gunshot injuries following the shooting.
On nice days, YouTube employees would enjoy their lunch hour in the enclosed courtyard at the company headquarters in San Bruno, California. On April 3, that lunchtime routine was shattered: A woman entered the courtyard from the parking garage through an unlocked gate and opened fire with a 9 mm handgun. She wounded three YouTube employees — one remains hospitalized — before taking her own life. The shooting unfolded in real time on social media and cable news, captivating public attention. The incident and its aftermath illustrates two points: how media coverage of such shootings creates more vicarious than actual victims and how that coverage makes the United States appear to be more dangerous than it actually is.
