“'The infuriating part is that we seem to be going backward,” said James Densley, a co-founder of the Violence Project, a nonpartisan research center that compiled the data used in the National Institute of Justice report. While it is hard to make broad generalizations, Mr. Densley and his partner, Jillian Peterson, discerned several patterns … [Read more...]
What Do Most Mass Shooters Have in Common? They Bought Their Guns Legally.
Mass shootings cannot, need not be the nation’s default
"Densley and Peterson point out that, in the aggregate, perpetrators are angry with the world and in search of a reason and a way to manifest it. "Hate comes late along this pathway," the professors write. Perpetrators' understanding of their cause is typically "shallow and contradictory" and "simply convenient."" In this article, the authors … [Read more...]
Op-Ed: The powerful message behind charging the parents in the Michigan school shooting
"The latest school shooting tragedy, in Michigan on Nov. 30, shares many common traits with those that came before it. The suspect was a young male student at the school in the midst of a noticeable crisis. He had communicated intent to do harm. He got a firearm from a family member who had failed to store it securely. But one crucial thing is … [Read more...]
School shootings are increasing — and changing. Easily accessible guns are to blame.
"School shootings more than doubled this September compared with the same month in previous years. But in considering how to deal with these tragic events, it is important to recognize how they are different from the Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland attacks that most people think of when they hear the term 'school shooting'..." In this article, … [Read more...]
Five Gun Reforms Could Prevent Most Mass Shootings
After the terrible mass shooting in Milwaukee yesterday, the Los Angeles Times used our data to examine precisely how many mass shootings since 1966 could have been prevented by: (a) a crackdown on straw purchases; (b) safe storage; (c) an assault weapons ban; (d) universal background checks; and (e) red flag laws. Read the full story … [Read more...]