"Dawn Reinfeld moved to Colorado 30 years ago to attend college in the bucolic town of Boulder. Enchanted by the state’s wide-open spaces, she stayed. But, in the ensuing decades, dark events have clouded her view of her adopted home. The 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. The 2012 massacre at the Aurora movie theater. On Wednesday, … [Read more...]
Haunted by mass violence, Colorado confronts painful history
Locks, Lights, and Out of Sight: How Lockdown Drills Affect America’s Children
"As schools re-open across the country, there’s one thing that has not gone away: lockdown drills." The Violence Project Co-Founder Jillian Peterson spoke to reporters for this CNN three-part article about how lockdown drills affect children. She spoke about The Violence Project's research into school shootings and her personal connection to … [Read more...]
Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019
After deadly school shootings at Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Parkland, many states mandated School Resource Officers or provided funding for districts to hire them. Lawmakers also considered arming teachers. Florida now requires a law enforcement officer or trained school guardian in every school. By examining every recorded incident where one or … [Read more...]
Why Many Mass Shooters Are ‘Loners’
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...]
Colorado shooting eerily recalls Columbine massacre
A few weeks after the 20-year anniversary of the Columbine massacre, the nation is grappling with yet another school shooting. The Violence Project founders Jill Peterson and James Densley used their research into mass shootings to show the similarities between the recent tragedy and Columbine. The two shootings were both committed by two school … [Read more...]