When those publications are as generally biased and nutzo as they are, I feel the need to disclaim referencing them even for direct quotes and facts. They had the information I needed, but I still don't want to act like they're gospel for anything else!

As for the data mongering, your link notes that (ignoring gang violence), there have been only 3, not 136, shootings this year. It's a bit curious that such a large order of magnitude change can be had by changing the definition slightly--and yet, it's nearly always the more dramatic number reported and reported as an imminent threat!