Journal of Psychology & Behavioral Science

A Second Look at Active Shooter Events: Expanding Our Understanding of Key Factors
Kyle Gamache, Matt C. Zaitchik, Judith Platania, Cecelia Coslovi, Willem Pontbriand

Abstract
In the current study, we investigate active shooter events (ASEs) with emphasis on expanding our understanding of key factors involved in these events. The impetus for this study is a 2015 exploration (Gamache et al., 2015) that highlighted common perpetrator and event characteristics in ASEs occurring in the US prior to 2014. Since the 2015 study, mass-shooting events have moved from tragic, isolated incidents, to a phenomenon that is widely discussed in the media and highly politicized. Our goal was to investigate continued trends, if any exist, and to compare our current sample of ASEs to the sample utilized in 2015. Differences were observed on two factors: events occurring after 2015 were significantly less likely to occur at a school compared to the early sample; and the presence of other stressors were present in the early sample but not in the recent sample. Recent data continues to show that active shooter events are deadly events resulting in significant loss of life and shared trauma. With the increasing frequency, these events are becoming a public health concern with major political and societal ramifications, and continued research must investigate this evolving form of public violence.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jpbs.v12a3