"They want you to watch." James Densley and Jill Peterson write about how the prevalence of violence in the media serves terrorists' interests in spreading destruction. The widespread use of social media platforms paved the way for the mass shooting of 50 worshipers to be livestreamed on Facebook: a performance of violence for the world. Densley … [Read more...]
Terrorism is a performance. Don’t watch. And, Facebook, stop making us.
One year after Parkland, are Americans equipped to prevent school shootings?
Thursday marks the one year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Since then, there have been six school shootings in the U.S., including one at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore on Feb. 7. A recent study from CNN found that since 2009 the U.S. has had 57 times as many school shootings as all … [Read more...]
School shooters usually show these signs of distress long before they open fire, our database shows
One of the biggest challenges schools face when averting school shootings is recognizing and acting upon warning signs. School shooters almost always give warning signs well before opening fire. The majority showed signs of a crisis and leaked their plans ahead of time on social media. The Violence Project's founders Jill Peterson and James … [Read more...]
MN researchers’ mass shooter database gets federal funding
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson spoke with reporters at Kare 11 about the risk factors for mass shooters. While there was no pattern, the number of risk factors people experienced before a mass shooting was consistent. There was also often a trigger before the shooting, and suicidality was common among mass shooters. Dr. Peterson also … [Read more...]
Researchers: Suicidal Behavior Precedes Mass Shootings, But No Real Pattern
Hamline University hosted a presentation on mass shooters Friday night. Hamline assistant professor Dr. Jillian Peterson and Dr. James Densley from Metropolitan State University spoke about their research study. Along with a team of Hamline students, they created a database of 150 mass shooters, based on 50 life variables. “What we found … [Read more...]