A Behavioral Sequence Analysis of Mass School Shooters Examining Stressors, Antisocial Behaviors, Mental Health Issues, and Planning and Preparation Activities

ABSTRACT

This study examines all completed mass school shooting offenders (1966–2021) using a behavioral sequence analysis of their stressors, antisocial behaviors, mental health issues, and planning/preparation activities. We also conduct isolated analyses of K-12 and college shooters. Findings illustrate a multitude of factors along the sequence from birth to attack for all offenders, with several differences between K-12 and college shooters. We highlight key behaviors and experiences that may warrant increased vigilance by bystanders and offer potential points of intervention for authorities. Ultimately, this study’s findings enable an understanding of the culmination of lived experiences that contribute to the decision to engage in an attack, and we point to directions for future research examining mass school shooters’ pathways to violence.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported (in part) by a Summer Stipend from the Research Center for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at William Paterson University.

Notes on contributors

Jason R. Silva

Jason R. Silva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at William Paterson University. His research examines mass shootings, school violence, terrorism, and violence prevention. Silva’s recent publications have appeared in Justice Quarterly, Homicide Studies, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice.

James Silver

James Silver is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Worcester State University. He is a former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney whose research focuses on public mass violence, terrorism, and threat assessment.

Emily A. Greene-Colozzi

Emily A. Greene-Colozzi is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Her research examines mass and school shootings, terrorism, situational crime prevention, and threat assessment. Greene-Colozzi’s recent publications have appeared in Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Mass Violence Research, and Journal of School Violence.