Episode 1106: Colion Noir

TL;DR: Two months after the Parkland school shooting, Rogan platforms an NRA spokesperson who pushes two of the most thoroughly debunked talking points in the gun debate — that “98% of mass shootings happen in gun-free zones” and that “almost every mass shooter is on psychiatric medication” — with little to no pushback.

Colion Noir is a gun rights activist, attorney, and at the time of recording the host of NRATV’s “NOIR.” He is a paid NRA media personality, not a researcher, criminologist, or mental health professional. The episode aired April 18, 2018 — roughly two months after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida killed 17 people.

The Core Problem

This episode is structured as a “common sense” conversation about firearms but functions as a vehicle for two debunked statistics that have been used for years to argue against any gun reform. Rogan, who frequently positions himself as a curious skeptic, does not interrogate either claim.

Claim 1: “Almost every single mass shooter is on some sort of psychiatric medication”

Noir argued that mental health is “the primary problem” and that “when you look at the number of mass shooters it’s almost universal — almost every single one of them is on some sort of psychiatric medication.”

This is false. It is one of the most persistent myths in the gun debate, and it has been studied repeatedly.

What the evidence says:

Columbia Mass Murder Database (Girgis et al.): Of 852 mass shootings between 1990 and 2023, only about 4% of perpetrators had any lifetime history of antidepressant use, and only ~7% had any history of taking any psychotropic medication — rates below the general population. PsyPost summary
Dr. Ragy Girgis, Columbia University: “SSRIs, and psych meds in general, are not responsible for mass shootings or violence in any way.” Psychiatric Times
PolitiFact: “No proof prescription drugs fuel mass shootings.” PolitiFact (2019)
FactCheck.org: Reviews of available data show no causal link between antidepressant use and mass shootings. FactCheck.org

Why it matters: This myth stigmatizes people with depression and anxiety, discourages treatment, and is repeatedly used to deflect from any policy conversation about firearms.

Claim 2: “Over 98% of mass shootings happen in gun-free zones”

Noir framed eliminating gun-free zones as a key prevention strategy, citing the familiar 98% figure.

This statistic comes from John Lott’s Crime Prevention Research Center and has been thoroughly debunked.

What the evidence says:

Washington Post Fact Checker: Examined Lott’s claim and found it depends on idiosyncratic definitions of both “mass shooting” and “gun-free zone.” Washington Post (2018)
Everytown analysis (2009–2016): Only about 10% of 156 mass shootings occurred in gun-free zones. 63% occurred in private homes. Center for American Progress
Lott’s methodology excludes gang/drug related shootings and most domestic incidents, and classifies sites like Fort Hood and the Washington Navy Yard — which had armed personnel — as “gun-free zones.”

Why it matters: The claim is used to push for arming teachers and eliminating gun restrictions in schools, despite no credible evidence that “more guns in more places” reduces mass shooting deaths.

Claim 3: “More good guys with guns” would have stopped Parkland

Noir, in the wake of Parkland, argued the answer is more armed civilians and armed school staff rather than firearm regulation.

What the evidence says:

FBI active shooter analysis (2000–2013): Armed civilians stopped roughly 3% of active shooter incidents. Unarmed citizens stopped more. FBI Active Shooter Study
RAND Corporation: Reviews of the literature find insufficient evidence that right-to-carry laws or more armed civilians reduce mass shootings, and some evidence they increase overall violent crime. RAND Gun Policy in America
Parkland itself had an armed school resource officer on site who did not intervene — undermining the “good guy with a gun” framing.

Joe Rogan’s Role

Rogan does not function as a skeptical interviewer here.

He does not ask Noir for a source on the “almost every mass shooter is on psychiatric meds” claim, despite this being a falsifiable empirical statement.
He does not challenge the 98% gun-free zone figure or note that it comes from a single advocacy researcher (Lott) whose methodology is widely disputed.
He amplifies the “Hollywood hypocrisy” framing, which deflects from policy debate into culture war.
The conversation is presented as “open and honest” while platforming an NRA-paid spokesperson uncritically two months after a mass school shooting.

This is a recurring pattern: Rogan giving extended, friendly airtime to advocates whose claims he doesn’t fact-check, while presenting the result as neutral conversation.

Real-World Harm

The psychiatric-medication myth has been cited by RFK Jr. and others to justify proposed federal restrictions on SSRIs and to discourage mental health treatment. Newsweek
The “gun-free zones” myth has been used to justify policies arming teachers, despite evidence that such policies introduce new risks.
Stigmatizing mental health treatment after mass shootings reduces help-seeking among people who would benefit from care — the opposite of what mass shooting prevention actually requires.

Bottom Line

Episode 1106 is not a balanced conversation about firearms policy. It is a sympathetic platform for an NRA spokesperson, recorded weeks after a mass school shooting, in which two well-known false statistics are passed along without challenge. The guest is entitled to his views; the problem is that the host functions as an amplifier rather than an interviewer, and a large audience walks away with debunked numbers in their heads.