The Violence Project

1. Mass shootings are preventable, not inevitable

Mass shootings are not an inevitable fact of American life; they're preventable.

Complex roots, not monsters. Mass shootings have complex causes, including childhood trauma, personal crises, social contagion, and opportunity. The perpetrators are not simply "monsters," but troubled individuals whose path to violence can be interrupted.

Preventable tragedies. By understanding the factors that lead to mass shootings, we can identify warning signs and intervene. Key prevention strategies include:

• Addressing childhood trauma and adverse experiences
• Improving crisis intervention and mental health support
• Reducing social contagion through responsible media coverage
• Limiting easy access to firearms, especially for at-risk individuals

2. Childhood trauma and crisis are key factors in mass shootings

ACEs are surprisingly common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two-thirds of adults report having experienced at least one type of ACEs as a child, and around 13 percent of people, such as Perpetrator A, have experienced four or more.

Trauma's lasting impact. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) like abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction can have long-lasting effects on mental health and behavior. Many mass shooters experienced significant childhood trauma, which contributed to their path to violence.

Crisis as a tipping point. Most mass shooters experience an identifiable crisis point in the days or weeks before their attack. These crises can include:

• Job loss or financial problems
• Relationship breakups
• Academic failures
• Mental health crises

Early intervention during these crisis periods is crucial for prevention. Schools, workplaces, and communities need systems in place to identify and support individuals in crisis.

3. Social proof and media coverage perpetuate the cycle of violence

Performances close their curtains when people stop buying tickets. We must starve mass shooters of the oxygen of publicity they desire. In the end, our attention is our power.

Media contagion effect. Extensive media coverage of mass shootings can inspire copycats and provide a blueprint for future attackers. The desire for notoriety motivates some shooters, who see the attention given to previous perpetrators.

Responsible reporting. To break this cycle, media should:

• Follow the "No Notoriety" protocol, minimizing use of shooters' names and images
• Focus on victims and community impact rather than shooter manifestos
• Avoid sensationalism and detailed accounts of methods
• Provide context and information on prevention and support resources

Individuals can also help by not sharing or engaging with content that glorifies shooters.

4. Opportunity and access to firearms enable mass shootings

Like coal gas and over-the-counter medication, they can be removed from the equation, and thus the opportunity for a mass shooting can be greatly diminished.

Guns and opportunity. Easy access to firearms, especially high-capacity and assault-style weapons, increases the lethality of mass shootings. Many perpetrators obtained their weapons legally despite warning signs.

Evidence-based policies. Research supports several measures to reduce firearm access for high-risk individuals:

• Universal background checks
• Extreme risk protection orders ("red flag" laws)
• Safe storage requirements
• Assault weapon and high-capacity magazine restrictions
• Permit-to-purchase laws
• Mandatory waiting periods

These policies can create barriers and time for intervention without infringing on the rights of responsible gun owners.

5. Hate and ideological radicalization fuel some mass shooters

Extremism is less an ideological movement and more a social one. It offers people with shared individual deficits a sense of collective identity and belonging that previously did not exist.

Roots of hate. Some mass shooters are motivated by hateful ideologies, often rooted in personal grievances and a search for belonging. Online communities can amplify and validate these beliefs.

Countering extremism. Strategies to address ideological motivations include:

• Early intervention and support for vulnerable individuals
• Improved media literacy education
• Countering online radicalization through content moderation and alternative narratives
• Addressing underlying societal factors that contribute to extremism

6. Crisis intervention and mental health support are critical

Crisis intervention is nothing more than recognizing when someone is in a crisis and stepping in to help them through that moment.

Recognizing warning signs. Most mass shooters exhibit concerning behaviors or share their plans before attacking. Training communities to recognize these signs is crucial.

Intervention skills. Key crisis intervention techniques include:

• De-escalating oneself and the environment
• Using non-verbal communication effectively
• Active listening and validating feelings
• Providing choices and agency
• Connecting individuals to appropriate resources

Improving access to mental health support and reducing stigma are also essential for prevention.

7. A comprehensive, layered approach is needed to prevent mass shootings

There is no one solution to rule them all. As with Swiss cheese, there are holes—but if you layer the slices, one on top of the other, the holes start to get covered up.

Multi-faceted problem, multi-faceted solution. Preventing mass shootings requires action at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Key areas for intervention include:

• Trauma prevention and support
• Crisis intervention and mental health resources
• Media responsibility and literacy
• Firearm access and safety measures
• Addressing hate and extremism
• Building connected communities

Collective responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in prevention:

• Individuals: Build relationships, learn intervention skills, practice responsible media consumption
• Institutions: Create supportive environments, implement crisis response teams, teach media literacy
• Society: Improve mental health access, strengthen social safety nets, enact evidence-based policies

By layering these imperfect solutions, we can create a comprehensive approach to prevent mass shootings and build safer communities.

Last updated: October 5, 2024