The Trigger: Narratives of the American Shooter

Written by Daniel J. Patinkin

Narrated by Kevin Stillwell

Six moving profiles reveal the complex realities behind gun violence in the United States. These are the stories of the shooters. In South Carolina, a young man embarks on a life of crime that culminates in a drug-related shooting and decades in prison; in Chicago, an off-duty police officer engages in a shootout with a murderous gunman, saving a fellow patrolman; in rural Tennessee, a troubled teenager shoots her abusive father in his sleep. The Trigger recounts the dramatic life stories of six individuals who have shot someone in America. In 2017, over 15,000 were killed and over 31,000 were injured by gunfire. Faced with these desensitizing statistics, one easily forgets that each incident is perpetrated by a living, feeling human being who has walked a unique path. The causes and consequences of these violent acts are often far more complicated than one might expect. Author Daniel J. Patinkin exhaustively interviewed each of six shooters about their life experiences and about the unique circumstances that compelled them to use a firearm against another person. The result is a series of profound narratives that is sure to distress and challenge the reader, but also, perhaps, to provide enlightenment and inspiration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Everand Productions
• Release date: Aug 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781094425962

Daniel J. Patinkin

Daniel Patinkin is a Chicago-born writer and businessman. His unique career has spanned the real estate, finance, education, and entertainment industries. He earned a BA in English and history from Indiana University and an MFA in producing from the University of Southern California. The Crippler is his first book.

Reviews for The Trigger

[blakemama · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Needed better research. Not good proofreading or fact checking .

[Gilda Galiano-Vinocur · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author does a great job with each chapter and each story and use it for a great conclusion.

[SuperNamtab · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author is takeing a good approach to a problem we are all thinking about today. Politicians do not have the answers. I have guns and I pray to GODthat I never have to use one.

[nancy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very powerful. Gun violence and mental illness go hand and trigger. Behind every shooting is the possibility that things could have been different for everyone involved, but the abundance of guns combined with socioeconomic disparity and the lack of mental health care in the US predicts more to come. So sad.

[Josie Moore · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent audiobook with a truly relevant topic that affects Americans today. Interesting stories, with diverse backgrounds, well worth listening to.

[Sybrina Heine Knorr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although entertaining to varying degrees, it is hard for this author to hide his liberal bias and anti-gun stance. You see glimpses of it in each one of the stories of these individual shooters, but it doesn’t come to full display until the epilogue. As long as you know what you’re getting before you dive in you should be OK.

[Joe Maggio · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent written, poignant exposure to 5 very different scenarios in which any or all of us could find ourselves and some point in our lives! A very thought engaging epilogue that pulls it all together! The sprinkling of gun facts throughout leads you wonder in astonishment how some of them can be true! Also the reader was very good and explains the authors thoughts without making you feel like it’s a boring class you have taken in college! An excellent read!

[Lyndon Turner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

These a interesting, well written stories. The author humanizes the perpetrators of these crimes with compassion.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Accounts of the lives of six people who killed someone else with a gun, with varying levels of moral and legal accountability (there’s one cop who faces no legal scrutiny at all; the others go to jail). It’s a tour of American heartbreak.

[bonniekernene · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was very interesting, coming from the perspective of the person who pulled the trigger. It is overwhelming, to say the least. It is not an easy subject for anyone, including these individuals who did this. Every single one is different in how they felt. Not all of the stories are about criminals out on crime sprees, but each one is emotional and very raw, hard to read without feeling like you are invested in the situation. This book is very well written and each story is well thought out and keeps you engaged. I highly recommend this book. It was great!