Are Video Games Just a Scapegoat for Gun Violence?

Many have said the correlation between violent video games and violent people is clear. Now, of course there is some correlation, many violent shooters have been known to play violent video games. First of all, correlation does not equal causation, especially since there has always been violent people, long before video games were even invented.

This rise in gun violence has happened around the same time video games have shot into popularity, but out of the 155 million Americans who play video games, how many of this 155 million Americans violent? So back to what I said earlier, correlation does not equal causation. Just cause video games have shot into popularity, doesn't mean that they are causing violence. Need proof? Here is a chart showing the number of people who have drowned by falling into a pool, and the amount of films Nicolas Cage has starred in. 

source

Sounds to me like we need to stop making movies with Nicolas Cage. 

Anyways, I can put up all the silly charts I want to about Nick Cage and his movies, but, I need to answer my question, are video games just a scapegoat for gun violence? The NRA has blamed violent video games as the cause for this rise in gun violence. Cause, you know, the NRA totally has nothing to gain from blaming another industry for gun violence. So even if you truly think that the correlation between violence and video games is linked, step back to think who is telling you this information, and what would they have to gain from the argument?

Many people who think video games can lead to violence point back to articles like "Yes, Violent Video Games Do Cause Aggression" by Jean Twenge that point out violent video games cause aggression. She says that in two analysis, with data from more than 134,000 people, linked violent video games with aggressive behavior. I checked one of the links she used for this specific study. Only one of them worked, but the one that did I read the study. It was "Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior in Eastern and Western Countries: A Meta-Analytic Review". Essentially, this study linked violent video games to aggressive behavior. Saying that the data says that there is a noted aggression when you play violent video games, specifically  aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect. The one part I found interesting, and do partially believe in is the finding that "exposure was related to desensitization and lack of empathy and to lack of prosocial behavior". I do believe that finding is very true, and that having a large intake of violence can desensitize you to violence in real life.
Now when I looked into this study, you might think the evidence when it is paraphrased is pretty damning. But looking into it I saw that it looked like short term effects were being tested. Not long term. Similarly to when you watch a horror movie your brain will produce more adrenaline, this study links playing violent video games with aggressive behavior and arousal in the brain, in the short term.
Most of the articles I've found with people who are anti video games, claim their proof is in studies who link violent video games to aggression, not outright violence. I find these studies being used as a way to leap to the conclusion that video games can make people violent it a large, unfounded leap. Aggression is different from becoming a shooter, but in Jean Twenge's article she does bring up school shooting, as if the two are related in the studies she later mentions.
Yes, video games can make you aggressive, so can caffeine, lack of sleep, and music. Anyone remember when they said the same things about rock and roll? When we look back on this outdated idea, don't we all laugh, realizing that rock and roll is now apart of our popular culture, and is normalized so no one has any reason to fear it? I see the same idea in video games.

Yes, violent video games can make you aggressive, what you do with that anger has nothing to do with video games. If someone plays violent video games and is violent, maybe that is a underlying issue, such as mental health, a history of abuse or neglect, etc. Relate it to alcoholism, many can blame alcohol for alcoholics, but if you take a critical, deep look into the root of the issue, often times people turn to vices because of mental illness, not just because people are bad. The world isn't so black and white, and blaming something less scary and more tangible like video games, or alcohol is easy, but often unhelpful.

After all this, all that I ask is to look a little deeper, and not be so quick to judge an issue by it's cover. Don't give into the easiest answer, and find the root of the issue.