The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in modern Canadian history. In a search for a rationale since the attack, there have been debates over various interpretations of the events, their significance, and the shooter's motives. Many characterize the massacre as an anti-feminist attack representative of wider societal violence against women. The anniversary of the massacre has been commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Other interpretations emphasize the shooter's abuse as a child or suggest that the massacre was simply the isolated act of a madman, unrelated to larger social issues. Still, other commentators have blamed violence in the media and increasing poverty, isolation, and alienation in society, particularly in immigrant communities.