As the pandemic spread across the country, students were swept from their classrooms and isolated in their homes, raising concern that the instability could result in devastating emotional health implications and widespread learning loss. But it also came with an unsettling silver lining: A year without a single mass school shooting. The trend … [Read more...]
After A Year Without Mass School Shootings, Experts Sound the Alarm About a ‘Return to Normal’
Will a return to normal post-pandemic mean a return of mass shootings?
The Violence Project's co-founder James Densley spoke with Talib Visram from Fast Company about the contagion effect of mass shootings and mental health. “The reality is: We weren’t living our best selves before the pandemic. America was not a happy, fully functioning place where everybody felt included, and where everybody was thriving. Going … [Read more...]
Opinion: Two weeks, two mass shootings — back to normal for America
Welcome to the first Opinion newsletter of spring (though, and I’m sorry to say this, if the warming season provides a reason to hope, the circumstances certainly do not). I’m Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, March 27, 2021. Let’s take a look back at the week in Opinion. Last week, it was Atlanta. Or was it Sandy Hook? Or Charleston? Or El … [Read more...]
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...]
Mass Shooter Database Version 3 is Now Available
What's new? Version 3 includes two new cases that met our definition from 2020 – far fewer mass shootings than in previous years. A new variable called “insider/outsider” was added to capture whether the perpetrator had an existing relationship with the site of their shooting. At K-12 schools, 85% of mass shooters were insiders. At colleges … [Read more...]