In the wake of last weekend's mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, President Donald Trump cited "mentally ill monsters," as a source of violence in a press briefing Monday. "We must reform our mental health laws to better identify mentally disturbed individuals who may commit acts of violence and make sure those people not only get … [Read more...]
Mass Shootings and Mental Illness: A Teaching Moment?
Daily Bulletin: The FBI Opened a Domestic Terror Investigation into the Gilroy Shooting
The Violence Project's op-ed in the Los Angeles Times was cited in The Trace's Daily Bulletin this morning. Read the full bulletin here. Source: The Trace … [Read more...]
Here’s what we know about the suspected gunmen in the El Paso, Dayton shootings
In the aftermath of two deadly mass shootings, The Violence Project's co-founder James Densley spoke with reporters at Global News on Tuesday about how to identify mass shooters and prevent future shootings. Urging people to recognize warning signs of a person being in crisis, Densley says, "If we’re a little bit more attuned to when people are … [Read more...]
Mass shootings can be contagious, research shows
Are mass shootings truly contagious? According to expert, Dr. Jillian Peterson, it's a form of social contagion, somewhat like a suicide contagion - that's when a high-profile suicide leads to more people to take their own lives. For example, following the suicide of actor Robin Williams, researchers documented a 10% spike in suicides in the months … [Read more...]
Video game makers face backlash after El Paso shooting
In the aftermath of Saturday's mass shooting in El Paso, President Donald Trump placed blame on video game makers, seeking to link games like "Call of Duty" with a rise in gun violence. Fears of a backlash against the industry sent shares of game developers tumbling on Monday While gaming companies recovered some that lost ground on Tuesday, … [Read more...]