NCJ Number
178319
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 109-113
Date Published
June 1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article attempts to compose a picture of the typical young person involved in a school shooting.
Abstract
The profile emerged from a study of school shootings since 1996. In all the episodes studied the killers were white males; females were involved only in a peripheral fashion. The age of the school shooter depended upon the type of school. Typically, the shooter was a student at the school where the murders occurred, and the killer and victim(s) were acquainted. Most of the schools were located in a suburban or rural community. Urban school incidents typically involved a troubled student killing to settle a personal score. The typical school shooter lives with his family in a middle class environment, is dissociated from the student body, and is involved with other dissociated young people. He spent much time on the Internet and playing certain violent computer games, and is fascinated by exotic weapons and bombs. The article also discusses pre-shooting activities of the typical shooter, motivation, and implications for law enforcement.