Exploring the Phenomenon of Mass Murder in Public Places

2020 ◽  
pp. 122-155
Author(s):  
Selina E. M. Kerr ◽  
Mary Ann Markey
Keyword(s):  
Threat Assessment ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Mass Murder ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Music Festival ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
The Individual

In 2017, fifty-eight individuals attending an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas were shot and killed, whilst hundreds more were injured. In this chapter, the authors explore the phenomenon of mass shootings taking place in entertainment venues or places of worship. These types of venues bring unique challenges in preventing and responding to mass shooting incidents. These authors recommend initiating a threat assessment system or model to assess changes in an individual's behaviors over time. It is of particular importance to evaluate whether the individual has been preparing for an attack. The six case studies reviewed engaged in active preparations beforehand by procuring weapons, writing manifestos and scoping out potential venues to attack. In terms of how to effectively respond to mass shootings in public locations, it is recommended that an emergency management plan with a range of scenarios is devised beforehand. Careful consideration should be given to ways to deal with individuals with special needs and how to communicate with patrons during an emergency situation.

Mass Killings Past, Present, and Future

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Sheri Jenkins Keenan ◽  
Jeffrey P. Rush
Keyword(s):  
Gun Control ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Second Amendment ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
Mass Killings ◽  
Double Digit ◽  
Health Experts

Mass shootings have been of interest and concern to a variety of experts including psychologists, sociologists, criminologists, public health experts, and policy makers. Journalists have tracked mass shooting events for a long time. Recently, mass shootings in public places have dominated the national dialogue about gun violence, gun control, and Second Amendment protections due to several mass pubic shootings in recent years that resulted in double-digit victim counts. Regardless of the why, it seems clear that the ability to identify and predict this behavior as early as possible is important, for the killer as well as the community.

An Exploration of Female Mass Shooters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Silva ◽  
Margaret Schmuhl
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Murder ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
And Gender

This research note provides an exploratory examination of female mass shooters in the United States between 1979 and 2019. Specifically, this work provides descriptive statistics of perpetrator, motivation, and incident characteristics. Findings indicate female mass shooters more closely align with male mass shooters than general female homicide and mass murder offenders. The most valuable findings indicate female mass shooters are not motivated by relationship disputes, they often target the workplace, and they are more likely to work in dyads, especially when engaging in ideologically motivated attacks. A discussion of findings provides insight for mass shooting and gender scholars, as well as practitioners seeking to understand female involvement in mass shootings.

Defining Mass Shootings

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Shootings ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Post Offices ◽  
National Characteristics ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
History Of

This chapter interrogates public understandings of mass shootings. First of all, gun violence statistics for the United States are compared with those in other developed countries. The varying definitions and trends of mass shooting are shown to be problematic in trying to gain an accurate understanding of the phenomenon. Discussed is the history of mass shootings in the United States from “going postal” attacks occurring in post offices and workplace massacres through to school shootings and mass shootings in public places. Possible reasons why the United States has the highest number of mass shootings are deliberated. Hofstede's often-quoted cultural model is used to discuss two national characteristics: high levels of individualism and low power distance between social groups. Other factors highlighted relate to Harding, Fox, and Mehta's model about influencers of school shootings, as well as notions of extreme masculinity which are often expressed via misogynistic behavior.

Risk Assessment of Mass Shootings

2021 ◽  
pp. 84-98
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Threat Assessment ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Criminal Profiling ◽  
Initial Identification ◽  
Mass Shooting

This chapter turns its focus to ways to assess the risk of mass shootings. Risk assessment is used for the prevention and initial identification of violence. The usefulness of risk assessment instruments in this process is debated. Also discussed is the viability of criminal profiling, looking at characteristics associated with a particular type of offender. To add to the discussion, the motives of previous mass shooters selected as case studies are detailed. This goes some way to showing that the varied motivations of perpetrators make it difficult to adequately assess the risk posed. The next chapter will illustrate that threat assessment is a more useful approach to determine whether an individual intends to perpetrate a mass shooting.

Mother Knows Best

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Arthur Crews ◽  
Garrison Allen Crews
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Data Base ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Movie Theater ◽  
Rampage Shootings ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
Violent Events

In the aftermath of the movie theater mass shooting in July of 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, Mother Jones magazine created one of the first open-source databases documenting mass shootings in the United States. They focused on documenting rampage shootings in public places which resulted in four or more victims killed by the attacker(s). Their initial database consisted of incidents between 1982 and 2012, then an additional 54 cases were added to this data base of incidents which occurred between 2013 and August 2019. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the incidents gathered in this complete database from 1982 to 2019. Special attention is given to overall trends and characteristics of types of offenders, events, and weapons used in such violent events.

The Role of Leakage and Warning Behaviors

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-83
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Threat Assessment ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Eleven Case

This chapter considers ways to detect mass shootings before they occur. It focuses on the role of leakage in prevention, whereby the communication of an intention to do harm can be used to assess the nature and viability of a mass shooting occurring. Eleven case studies of mass shootings are used to assess leakage and other warning signs displayed prior to these attacks. Documented are possible types of leakages, audiences for leakages, ways leakages were communicated, and other types of warning behaviors. Findings from interviews with threat assessment experts are also discussed in relation to the role leakage plays. It is hoped this chapter will go some way to informing risk and threat assessment procedures, which will be discussed in more detail in the subsequent chapters.

Threat Assessment of Mass Shootings

2021 ◽  
pp. 99-114
Keyword(s):  
Threat Assessment ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
The Individual

This chapter builds upon discussions in the previous ones about leakage of threats and other warning signs prior to mass shootings. The discussion here centers on assessing and managing threats in order to try to prevent mass shootings from occurring. The argument will be put forward that threat assessment allows for the seriousness of threats to be ascertained. This approach is two-fold in nature involving the assessment of the threat, as well as the individual who made the threat to determine whether they pose a danger to themselves or others. Moreover, it generally involves a follow-up plan for the threatening individual to be managed. Interviews with experts in this field provide advice relating to the process of carrying out threat assessment and management.

Media Salience and Mass Murder

2018 ◽  
pp. 129-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Schildkraut ◽  
Glenn W. Muschert
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Murder ◽  
Time Dimension ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Space Frames ◽  
Columbine High School ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
The Media

Mass shootings in the United States continue to be a cause for national concern both for the public and politicians alike. A key component in this pervasive discourse is the news media, which, since most people never will directly experience a mass shooting or other episodic violent crime, acts as the main source for information about these and other crime events. The present study analyzes the media coverage and framing patterns of 12 years of public mass shootings following the 1999 attack at Columbine High School. A two-dimensional analytic model is used to examine framing at both the spatial and temporal levels. The findings indicate that while the framing across the time dimension remains consistent with previous research, the use of the space frames departs from previous research, indicating a shift in the coverage. These findings and their associated implications for policy responses to mass shootings also are considered.

scholarly journals Safe and Effective Use of Ozone as Air and Surface Disinfectant in the Conjuncture of Covid-19

Gases ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Elena Grignani ◽  
Antonella Mansi ◽  
Renato Cabella ◽  
Paola Castellano ◽  
Angelo Tirabasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Toxic Substance ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Effective Use

The present paper extrapolates quantitative data for ozone virucidal activity on the basis of the available scientific literature data for a safe and effective use of ozone in the appropriate cases and to explore the safety measures developed under the stimulus of the current emergency situation. Ozone is a powerful oxidant reacting with organic molecules, and therefore has bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal actions. At the same time, it is a toxic substance, having adverse effects on health and safety. Its use is being proposed for the disinfection of workplaces’ and public places’ atmosphere, and for disposable masks and personal protective equipment disinfection for reuse, with particular reference to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Ozone can be generated in situ by means of small, compact ozone generators, using dried ambient air as a precursor. It should be injected into the room that is to be disinfected until the desired ozone concentration is reached; after the time needed for the disinfection, its concentrations must be reduced to the levels required for the workers’ safety. The optimal use of ozone is for air and surface disinfection without human presence, using a concentration that is effective for the destruction of viruses, but not high enough to deteriorate materials.

scholarly journals Informal Land Rights and Infrastructure Retrofit: A Typology of Land Rights in Informal Settlements

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Mahsa Mesgar ◽  
Diego Ramirez-Lovering
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Land Rights ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
Control And Management

Informal settlements represent a challenging operational context for local government service providers due to precarious contextual conditions. Location choice and land procurement for public infrastructure raise the complicated question: who has the right to occupy, control, and use a piece of land in informal settlements? There is currently a dearth of intelligence on how to identify well-located land for public infrastructure, spatially and with careful consideration for safeguarding the claimed rights and preventing conflicts. Drawing on a case study of green infrastructure retrofit in seven informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia, we classify the informal settlers’ land rights into four types: ownership, use, control, and management. This exploratory study uses a typological approach to investigate the spatial dimension of land rights in informal settlements. We introduce non-registrable land interests and the partial, dynamic, and informal land use rights that impact the land procurement for infrastructure retrofit. We also create a simple spatial matrix describing the control/power, responsibilities and land interests of different stakeholders involved in the location decision making for public infrastructure. We argue that without sufficient understanding of non-formal land rights, land procurement proposals for the public infrastructure upgrades can be frustrated by the individual or group claims on the land, making the service provision impossible in informal settlements.

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