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Based on a study of victim associations, this article examines the virtues and limitations of concepts such as ‘moral shock’ proposed by social movement studies for highlighting the catalytic effect of dramatic events on the onset of collective action. The author explains how the narratives of the event in terms of ‘shock’ is less dependent on emotions felt by victims than on norms imposed by the disaster frame, journalistic expectations, and the social role of victims. The ethnographic approach demonstrates how the event functions as a screen that obscures the fact that many victim groups are based on deeply rooted social identities and pre-existing organizational networks. The victims are not only the captives of the event; they also grasp it as an opportunity for collective action.