Contextualizing Firearms in Mass Shooting Incidents: A Study of Guns, Regulations, and Outcomes

Abstract

The current study provides a quantitative examination of 634 firearms used in 348 mass shootings (1966–2018) through a unique firearm-level database. Specifically, this work identifies the relationship between the types of firearms, methods of obtainment, firearm regulations, and incident outcomes. Findings indicate the most common firearms were handguns. They were often legally obtained by the perpetrator, from independently owned or operated federally licensed firearms dealers. Although handgun-specific regulations did not appear to impact the legality of firearms, assault weapons bans were associated with an increase in illegal obtainment. Furthermore, the presence of a semiautomatic rifle and a higher number of guns were associated with increased casualties. A discussion of key findings provides important implications and future directions for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

Keywords:

• Mass shootings
• firearms
• gun policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 In line with previous research (Silva & Capellan, 2019a, 2019b), this study begins in 1966, because it is the year of the Texas Sniper shooting. Scholars consider this the “first” mass shooting in contemporary conceptualizations of the phenomenon (Duwe, 2004; Schildkraut & Elsass, 2016).

2 The aforementioned datasets only represent particularly valuable examples of each source-type. Over 50 datasets were reviewed, many of which can be identified in Capellan and Gomez (2018), which provides the most comprehensive publicly available list of mass shooting data sources.

3 The authors acknowledge the potential validity issues associated with this approach and cite the following peer-reviewed studies that use a similar approach (Blau et al., 2016; Duwe et al., 2002; Gius, 2015).

4 Typically, all Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK) models; UZI and Galil rifles; Beretta AR-70 rifles; Colt AR-15 rifles; Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN-LAR, FNC; SWD M-10, M-11, M11/9, M12 pistols; Steyr AUG, Intratec TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22; and all revolving cylinder shotguns; however, definitions vary according to state.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emily Ann Greene-Colozzi

Emily Ann Greene-Colozzi, M.A., is a PhD candidate in the Criminal Justice program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her research interests include situational crime prevention, gun policy, and environmental criminology. Recent publications include Aggression and Violent Behavior, Journal of Correctional Healthcare, and Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice.

Jason R. Silva

Jason R. Silva, Ph.D., 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 mass media. Recent publications have appeared in Aggression and Violent Behavior, Criminal Justice Policy Review, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, and Victims & Offenders.