Recent mass shootings resulting in large numbers of fatalities have both shocked the American public, with many believing there to be an epidemic of bloodshed and even avoiding certain places. This presentation will examine the trends, patterns, and contributing factors underlying these tragedies with special attention to school massacres. The widespread concern that mass shootings are surging has encouraged a number of policy proposals—some worthwhile yet others illadvised. This presentation will attempt to add perspective to perceptions of risk and critically assess some of the solutions that have been advanced by politicians and the public alike.

Featuring:
James Alan Fox, Ph.D.
The Lipman Family Professor of Criminology, Law, and Public Policy
Northeastern University

James Alan Fox has published 18 books, dozens of journal and magazine articles, and hundreds of freelance columns in newspapers around the country, primarily in the areas of mass murder, serial murder youth crime, school and campus violence, workplace violence, and capital punishment. As a member of its Board of Contributors, his column appears regularly in USA TODAY. In addition, he was the founding editor of the Journal of Quantitative Criminology.

Fox is one of the principals in maintaining the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. He has led or worked on criminal investigations surrounding serial and mass murder cases, served as an expert witness in over a dozen of civil cases related to multiple homicide, and was a visiting fellow with the Bureau of Justice Statistics.