Citation

Zeoli AM, Paruk JK. Criminol. Public Policy 2020; 19(1): 129-145.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Society of Criminology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1745-9133.12475

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We investigated the extent to which the 89 mass shooters who committed their acts from 2014 through 2017 were known or suspected to commit domestic violence prior to the shooting, whether they had been engaged in the justice system in a way that could have led to domestic violence firearm restrictions, and why they were either not legally or not successfully restricted from firearm access. A total of 28 mass shooters were suspected of domestic violence, 61% of whom had been involved with the justice system for domestic violence. At least 6 shooters had potential domestic violence firearm restrictions.

Policy Implications
Implementation of domestic violence firearm restrictions may prevent access to firearms for some potential mass shooters. For this to happen, domestic violence cases need to become known to and move through the justice system to conviction or granting a domestic violence restraining order and the firearm restrictions need to be effectively implemented.

Language: en

Keywords

domestic violence; firearms; mass shootings; policy