In this paper, we describe a new dataset of averted mass public shooting threats (N = 194) from 2000–2019 and compare them to mass public shootings that were completed during this time (N = 97).
Scholarship on mass public shootings has increased in recent years as comprehensive datasets have become more available. As a result, much is known about the contextual and offender related characteristics of such attacks. However, less research has been conducted on attacks that were planned but ultimately did not occur. Understanding how mass public shootings may be thwarted or averted is important for both policy and theoretical reasons. Several noteworthy findings emerged from the current study, including that nearly half of the averted cases were reported by a friend or acquaintance, most targeted a specific location or group, and averted cases were more likely to involve school targets and co-offenders. Implications are discussed. (Publisher abstract provided)
Downloads
Related Datasets
Similar Publications
- Rapid DNA Crime Scene Sample Multi-Laboratory Evaluation Project
- "Suffering in Deafening Silence": Suicide Ideation and Attempted Suicide in the Lives of Incarcerated Rural West Virginia Girls
- Trauma Behind the Keyboard: Exploring Disparities in Child Sexual Abuse Material Exposure and Mental Health Factors among Police Investigators and Forensic Examiners – A Network Analysis