U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Policy Solutions to Address Mass Shootings
NCJ Number
              304951

Author(s)
          Michael Rocque;
                        Grant Duwe;
                        Michael Siegel;
                        James Alan Fox;
                        Max Goder-Reiser;
                        Emma E. Fridel
Date Published

August 2021
Length
              20 pages
Annotation
              This policy brief discusses gun control and mass shootings, based on the authors’ recent empirical study that focused on a specific type of mass shooting, i.e., those that occur in public settings.
Abstract
              The study first reviews definitions of mass shootings and then discusses issues related to identifying the effects of gun control measures. This report concludes with a discussion of the effects of gun control measures and implications gun control holds for future public policy. The definition of “mass public shooting” used in this study is “an incident in which four or more victims are fatally shot in a public location within a 24-hour period in the absence of other criminal activity, such as robberies, drug deals, and gang conflict.” The study accessed a comprehensive list of mass public shooting incidents and victim counts in the United States from 1976-2018, along with a database of 89 state gun laws with transparent definitions that the authors had compiled. This improves on previous work that used limited data on both mass shootings and gun laws. The study identified 156 unique mass public shootings with 2,839 victims shot, 1,090 of whom died. One set of data analyses assessed the influence of laws on the incidence of mass public shootings, and another set assessed the influence of relevant law on the severity of mass public shootings in terms of victim counts. The research findings are consistent with previous similar studies, which suggest that 1) requiring a permit to purchase or possess a gun may reduce the incidence of mass public shootings; and 2) banning large-capacity magazines may reduce the number of victims when such a shooting occurs.
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2018-75-CX-0025


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Policy


  
  
        
  Award
        The Nature, Trends, Correlates and Prevention of Mass Public Shootings in America, 1976-2018
    
  
  
Date Published: August 1, 2021
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Related Datasets
        
                      https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38331.v1
Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Mass violence
        Mass shooting
        Shooting
        Social and Behavioral Science
        Gun control



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Identifying COVID-19 Policies and Practice that Juvenile Justice Systems Should Maintain Long-Term: Listening Session 1: Juvenile Justice Crime Analysts
                  The Differentiation of 2,5-Dimethoxy-N-(N-Methoxybenzyl)Phenethylamine (NBOMe) Isomers Using GC Retention Indices and Multivariate Analysis of Ion Abundances in Electron Ionization Mass Spectra
                  Statistical Evaluation of Sectral Interferences in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov