"Six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the United States since 2018 were by people who were 21 or younger, representing a shift for mass casualty shootings, which before 2000 were most often initiated by men in their mid-20s, 30s and 40s. “We see two clusters when it comes to mass shooters, people in their 40s who commit workplace type … [Read more...]
A Disturbing New Pattern in Mass Shootings: Young Assailants
2 mass shootings — 1,700 miles apart but bound by startling similarities
"Though the motivations in these particular cases likely differ, the suspects of these shootings, and others like it, have a lot in common, according to James Densley and Jillian Peterson, co-founders of The Violence Project. Their research organization studies gun violence, mass shootings and violent extremism. "Usually what's motivating these … [Read more...]
Hate is not at the root of most mass shootings
"With yet another young White man in police custody and charged with first-degree murder after a mass shooting — this time at a supermarket in Buffalo on Saturday — the police and the public are again asking: Why? Law enforcement officials were quick to label the massacre, which left 10 people dead, a hate crime. The suspect, who has pleaded … [Read more...]
Gun Violence Prevention: What a Study of Mass Shootings Tells Us About How to Prevent Them
The Violence Project's co-founders Jillian Peterson and James Densley spoke with the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy. Listen to their discussion on YouTube here. YouTube Description: Mass shootings are very rare, but they receive a lot of media attention and have enormous social costs. Guest host … [Read more...]
We have studied every mass shooting since 1966. Here’s what we’ve learned about the shooters.
The key to preventing mass shootings lies in understanding what the perpetrators have in common: (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 to carry out an attack. This new … [Read more...]