Two Professors Found What Creates a Mass Shooter. Will Politicians Pay Attention?

Mass shooters overwhelmingly fit a certain profile, say Jillian Peterson and James Densley, which means it’s possible to ID and treat them before they commit violence.

Each time a high-profile mass shooting happens in America, a grieving and incredulous nation scrambles for answers. Who was this criminal and how could he (usually) have committed such a horrendous and inhumane act? A few details emerge about the individual’s troubled life and then everyone moves on.

Three years ago, Jillian Peterson, an associate professor of criminology at Hamline University, and James Densley, a professor of criminal justice at Metro State University, decided to take a different approach. In their view, the failure to gain a more meaningful and evidence-based understanding of why mass shooters do what they do seemed a lost opportunity to stop the next one from happening. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the Department of Justice, their research constructed a database of every mass shooter since 1966 who shot and killed four or more people in a public place, and every shooting incident at schools, workplaces and places of worship since 1999.

Peterson and Densley also compiled detailed life histories on 180 shooters, speaking to their spouses, parents, siblings, childhood friends, work colleagues and teachers. As for the gunmen themselves, most don’t survive their carnage, but five who did talked to Peterson and Densely from prison, where they were serving life sentences. The researchers also found several people who planned a mass shooting but changed their mind.

Their findings, also published in the 2021 book, The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic, reveal striking commonalities among the perpetrators of mass shootings and suggest a data-backed, mental health-based approach could identify and address the next mass shooter before he pulls the trigger — if only politicians are willing to actually engage in finding and funding targeted solutions.

But, it triggers more people to talk about guns than actually resolving problems so,....

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CorvusBlackthorne · 100+, M

All that is well and good, and merits further research, but we need a quick solution to prevent more senseless violence until such research can be thoroughly conducted. Can you think of another thing all the gunmen have in common? Something all the shooters share? Surely there is something connecting all of these shootings that we can use to prevent another whilst we explore how to revamp the mental health system in this country?

Budwick · 70-79, M

@CorvusBlackthorne

but we need a quick solution to prevent more senseless violence

So, let's waste another decade or two trying to alter the 2nd amendment.

CorvusBlackthorne · 100+, M

@Budwick It is not about the second amendment. Do you honestly think these mentally ill mass shooters would be a good addition to a well organized militia?

Budwick · 70-79, M

@CorvusBlackthorne Yopu are conflating and confusing yourself.

Banning guns is about the 2nd amendment, Cubby!

CorvusBlackthorne · 100+, M

@Budwick I am doing nothing of the sort, sir. The second amendment was written with the idea that the colonies needed a sort of militia, not unlike the revolutionary army. The United States has an extremely well organized militia referred to as the military. As a matter of fact, this militia is so well organized that it is divided into several smaller organizations.

Tell me, does the fact that mentally ill people in Canada are unable to carry out their plans to commit mass shootings give you food for thought? What about Australia? I haven't heard of a mass shooting lately in New South Wales. Why is that, one wonders?

Budwick · 70-79, M

@CorvusBlackthorne

Tell me, does the fact that mentally ill people in Canada are unable to carry out their plans to commit mass shootings give you food for thought? What about Australia? I haven't heard of a mass shooting lately in New South Wales.

If you are suggesting that we send mentally ill to Canada, Australia or New South Wales?

Cuz, there's a better chance of that than getting rid of the 2nd amendment.