By LISA MARIE PANE and STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - There's been a big increase in the number of tips to U.S. law enforcement about potential mass shootings following the three shootings in August that killed 34 people.

Experts say media coverage of the shootings makes the public more prone to inform on worrisome relatives or neighbors in attempts to prevent more shootings.

Following the high-profile shootings in California and Texas and Ohio, tips to the FBI rose by about 15,000 each week.

But authorities say it's difficult to identify and predict who the next shooter will be.

Some of those would-be shooters sent text messages to friends or posted on social media that they hoped to one-up previous mass shootings by killing more people.

Law enforcement authorities and experts say the reasons for the increase in tips vary.

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