Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Criminology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Human and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Thomas Fleming

Advisor Role

Supervisor

Second Advisor

Dr. Daniel Antonowicz

Advisor Role

Second Reader

Abstract

School shootings have become a major issue in the United States for over the past 20 years, contributing to the resurgence of the debates surrounding gun control policies. However, further research is needed to better understand the risk factors of school shootings. The FBI constructed the Four-Pronged Threat Assessment Model, a risk assessment specifically applied to school shooters (O’Toole, n.d). Within the current study, the Four-Pronged Threat Assessment Model will be applied to five school shooters: Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold (both Columbine school shooters), Seung Heung Cho (the Virginia Tech School Shooter), Adam Lanza (the Sandy Hook School Shooter), and Nikolas Cruz (the Stoneman Douglas School Shooter). Five separate case studies will be conducted for each school shooter, aiming to answer the following three questions: (1) What are some of the possible risk factors of becoming a school shooter across the cases? (2) Can the Four-Pronged Threat Assessment Model be effectively applied to the five school shooters? (3) What are the possible policy implications that could be considered? The results of the research should provide a greater understanding of the common predictors of school shootings and policy suggestions that may help in addressing such a major concern.

Convocation Year

2020

Convocation Season

Fall

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Criminology Commons

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