The man accused of killing 22 people and injuring dozens more at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, this weekend was an “extreme loner” who was “picked on” for his voice and his clothes, the Los Angeles Times reported. The lonely life of the suspect, who is widely reported to be 21-year-old Patrick Crusius of Allen, Texas, reveals a troubling pathway … [Read more...]
Why Many Mass Shooters Are ‘Loners’
University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting has these things in common with other campus shootings
The Violence Project's founders Jill Peterson and James Densley wrote an article in The Conversation examining the University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting and comparing it to prior campus shootings across the country. Peterson and Densley review common characteristics of campus shooters, from demographics to childhood trauma. Their … [Read more...]
Terrorism is a performance. Don’t watch. And, Facebook, stop making us.
"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...]
How social media sends extremism into overdrive
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson and James Densley wrote an article for CNN about how social media enables extremism. They examine how extreme groups coalesce and organize through social media, and what we can do to prevent it. "Let's stop being the audience the extremists want. If we walk out of the show, the extremists might be forced … [Read more...]
Why the trend of posting gruesome acts online?
Police have found the suspect who shot and killed an elderly victim and posted footage of the deed on Facebook. He took his own life before he could be taken into custody. His act was yet another example of a new trend — “performance violence” on social media. From the live torture of a mentally disabled teenager in Chicago to the performance … [Read more...]