Whenever there’s a mass shooting, like the three last week, we ask ourselves two questions: Why? And, how can we keep it from happening again? The Violence Project, a nonpartisan think tank, strives to answer those questions. Under a grant from the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Violence … [Read more...]
Trying to understand and prevent mass shootings
School shootings: What administrators need to know
An analysis of 46 active shooters in schools revealed several common characteristics they tend to share. The majority of active shooters were current or former members of the school, were in crisis and suicidal before the shooting, acquired guns by borrowing or stealing them from friends or family, and the majority of shooters leaked their plans in … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]