Amid A recent spAte of horrific
mass shootings—at a Buffalo super-
mmarket, a Texas elemarket, a Texas elementary school, entary school,
and a Tulsa hospital—and a Tulsa hospital—it feels as if little it feels as if little
has changed since the Sandy Hook has changed since the Sandy Hook
mmassacre in 2012. In fact, things have assacre in 2012. In fact, things have
gotten worse: mgotten worse: mass shootings are ass shootings are
mmore frequent and deadlier than ever.ore frequent and deadlier than ever.
It’s hard not to feel numIt’s hard not to feel numb. Wb. When hen
comcomparable nations have suffered parable nations have suffered
deadly mdeadly mass shootings—ass shootings—Australia, Australia,
Canada, GermCanada, Germany, Britain, New Zeaany, Britain, New Zea--
land, Switzerland—land, Switzerland—they responded they responded
with new laws curtailing firearmwith new laws curtailing firearm ac- ac-
cess, and rarely experienced another cess, and rarely experienced another
mmass shooting. In Amass shooting. In America, we wait for erica, we wait for
decisive action that never comdecisive action that never comes, while es, while
mmass shootings continue unabated.ass shootings continue unabated.
Five years ago, we started research-Five years ago, we started research-
ing the lives of ming the lives of mass shooters. To our ass shooters. To our
genuine surprise, talking to mgenuine surprise, talking to mass ass
shooters in prison and people who shooters in prison and people who
knew themknew them, people who planned a , people who planned a
shooting but never went through with shooting but never went through with
it, victimit, victims’ fams’ families, shooting survivors, ilies, shooting survivors,
and first responders gave us reason to and first responders gave us reason to
hope. Whope. We learned there are things we e learned there are things we
can do right here, right now, as individ-can do right here, right now, as individ-
ual concerned citizens, to stop a mual concerned citizens, to stop a mass ass
shooting before it ever starts.shooting before it ever starts.
It begins with a shift in mIt begins with a shift in mindset. indset.
MMass shooters are not ass shooters are not them.them. They are They are
usus——boys and mboys and men we know. Our chil-en we know. Our chil-
dren. Our students. Our colleagues. dren. Our students. Our colleagues.
Our comOur commmunity. This fact munity. This fact may may make ake
mmass shooters seemass shooters seem harder to stop. harder to stop.
The reality is quite the opposite.The reality is quite the opposite.Nearly half Nearly half ofof all mall mass shoot-ass shoot-
ers, and 80% of school mers, and 80% of school mass shoot-ass shoot-
ers, comers, commmunicate intent to do harmunicate intent to do harm
ahead of timahead of time. They post threats on e. They post threats on
social msocial media or tell their famedia or tell their family and ily and
friends in person. This is a crucial op-friends in person. This is a crucial op-
portunity for intervention, but mportunity for intervention, but many any
people don’t know what to do with people don’t know what to do with
that informthat information or where and how ation or where and how
to report it. By training ourselves to to report it. By training ourselves to
say somsay something if we see or hear something if we see or hear some-e-
thing that gives us pause, and by lob-thing that gives us pause, and by lob-
bying for behavioral intervention bying for behavioral intervention
and threat- and threat- assessmassessment teament teams in our s in ourschools and workplaces, communi-
ties can proactively respond to these ties can proactively respond to these
warning signs.warning signs.
A mA mass shooting is intended to ass shooting is intended to
be the final act of a person who has be the final act of a person who has
reached a breaking point. No one reached a breaking point. No one
thinks they’ll get away with a mthinks they’ll get away with a mass ass
shooting; mshooting; mass shootings end one of ass shootings end one of
three ways: with the shooter taking three ways: with the shooter taking
their own life, law enforcemtheir own life, law enforcement taking ent taking
it for themit for them, or the perpetrator spend-, or the perpetrator spend-
ing the rest of their life in prison.ing the rest of their life in prison.
This all mThis all means classical deterrence eans classical deterrence
mmechanismechanisms like harsh punishms like harsh punishment ent
or armor armed security at the door do little ed security at the door do little
to prevent mto prevent mass shootings. A suicidal ass shootings. A suicidal
shooter mshooter may in fact be drawn to a loca-ay in fact be drawn to a loca-
tion if they know somtion if they know someone on site is eone on site is
trained to kill themtrained to kill them. Rather than giv-. Rather than giv-
ing desperate people incentive to die, ing desperate people incentive to die,
we mwe must give themust give them a reason to live. a reason to live.
Like CPR, suicide prevention and Like CPR, suicide prevention and
crisis intervention are skills anyone crisis intervention are skills anyone
can learn. Wcan learn. We’ve trained thousands e’ve trained thousands
of people in verbal and nonverbal de- of people in verbal and nonverbal de-
escalation techniques like active listen-escalation techniques like active listen-
ing and focusing on feelings, not facts. ing and focusing on feelings, not facts.
A crisis overwhelmA crisis overwhelms a person’s s a person’s
usual coping musual coping mechanismechanisms. A person in s. A person in
crisis is like a balloon ready to pop. All crisis is like a balloon ready to pop. All
we mwe must do is let a bit of the air out. Wust do is let a bit of the air out. We e
don’t have to comdon’t have to completely deflate the pletely deflate the
balloon, or figure out then and there balloon, or figure out then and there
how and why it got so full, or mhow and why it got so full, or make ake
sure it can never get inflated again. sure it can never get inflated again.
The problemThe problems in the lives of ms in the lives of mass ass
shooters feel so mshooters feel so massive and over-assive and over-
whelmwhelming, but soming, but sometimetimes the smes the small-all-
est thing can get somest thing can get someone through a eone through a
mmomoment. Likewise, if people can’t ent. Likewise, if people can’t
get their hands on the easiest tools to get their hands on the easiest tools to
harmharm them themselves or others, there will selves or others, there will
be fewer tragedies. Mbe fewer tragedies. Most school shoot-ost school shoot-
ers get their guns fromers get their guns from hom home, which e, which
mmeans parents of school-age children eans parents of school-age children
can prevent death simcan prevent death simply by locking ply by locking
up their firearmup their firearms.s.
MMass shootings are not an inevi-ass shootings are not an inevi-
table fact of Amtable fact of American life; they’re erican life; they’re
preventable. preventable.Densley and Peterson are the Densley and Peterson are the
co-founders of the Violence Project co-founders of the Violence Project
and co-authors of and co-authors of The Violence The Violence
Project: How to Stop a MProject: How to Stop a Mass Shooting ass Shooting
EpidemEpidemicicN A T I O NN A T I O N
A person in crisis
is like a balloon
ready to pop. All
we must do is let
a bit of the air out
VIEWPOINTHOW TO STOP A MASS SHOOTING
WWe can all train ourselves to take action e can all train ourselves to take action
By James Densley and Jillian PetersonBy James Densley and Jillian Peterson◁
Law-enforcement officers in
Uvalde, Texas, on MUvalde, Texas, on May 26ay 26DAVID BUTOW—REDUX FOR TIME