The Violence Project has studied every U.S. mass shooting since 1966. Its database, which is not publicly available yet, includes 160 mass shooters who have killed four or more people in a public place. Nearly all were male and the average age was 34-years-old. The study found most shooters shared common traits, like experiencing childhood trauma. … [Read more...]
Watch: Common traits like childhood trauma, behavioral changes link mass shooters
Four Things Most Mass Shooters Have in Common
The Trump Administration is funding studies of mass shooters in the United States. Right now, researchers are combing through a trove of social media and historical data to find similarities among these individuals. One of the researchers, James Densley from The Violence Project, joins Cheddar Business to explain his findings. Watch … [Read more...]
Mental Illness isn’t main driver of mass shootings, experts say
Dr. Jillian Peterson shares The Violence Project’s research on mass shootings and the four key commonalities that perpetrators have: (1) early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age; (2) an identifiable grievance or crisis point; (3) validation for their beliefs, having studied past shootings to find inspiration; and (4) the means … [Read more...]
What do we know about mass shooters?
The Violence Project's co-founder Jillian Peterson spoke with Angela Davis in the wake of back-to-back mass shootings this weekend. Their discussion covered the motivations behind these shootings and potential steps towards prevention. Listen to the radio segment from All Things Considered and the Angela Davis Show here. Source: MPR News … [Read more...]
Mass Shooters Seek ‘Validation’ For Their Murderous Attacks, Say Experts For DOJ
Many mass shooters are seeking out validation and notoriety for their murderous crimes, according to researchers studying the history of mass shootings for the Justice Department. Perpetrators are inspired by other mass shooters and study previous shootings, so much so that the crimes can become “socially contagious,” Jillian Peterson and James … [Read more...]