Mass Shootings and Gun Violence

Mass shootings have increased across America in the past few years to the point where we seemingly can’t go a couple of days without one occurring. Although they represent a small portion of overall gun violence, they have an enormous impact on the public’s sense of safety.  The tragic shooting in Highland Park at the Independence Day Parade in which 6 people were killed and 30 injured sent shock waves around the country on the heels of the Uvalde School Shooting that took the lives of 19 students, and two teachers and injured 17 others.  Against a backdrop of increasing violent crime in many cities, people are searching for both an understanding of the violence and solutions.

Solutions often become highly political and hotly debated.  This episode will focus on empirical research on gun violence and mass shooting with a noted expert in the field. 

Joining us today is Dr. Emma Fridel, a criminologist from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University.  Thank you for being with us today. 

Emma received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University.  She primarily studies violence and aggression with a focus on homicide, including school violence. Homicide-suicide, serial and mass murder, and fatal officer-citizen encounters.  Her work has been published in Criminology, Social Forces, and Justice Quarterly.  She is a co-author of Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder.