American Journal of Criminal Justice· 2026Q1
A Comprehensive Assessment of Leakage, Threats, Public Reporting, and Responses to Reports among Public, Family, and Felony Mass Shootings
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Mass shooters who target the public are more likely to leak their violent intentions or make threats compared to those targeting family or in felony-related incidents, yet public reporting of these signals is inconsistent, with uncertainty about dangerousness being a key barrier.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Public mass shooters are more prone to leaking violent intent and making threats than family or felony shooters.
- Theories like criminal propensity, 'cry for help,' and attention-seeking may explain why perpetrators reveal their intent.
- Public reporting of threats and leakage is inconsistent, with public uncertainty about dangerousness being the main obstacle.
- Criminal justice system responses to reported threats also present opportunities for improvement.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract This study provides a comprehensive assessment of leakage, threats, public reporting, and criminal justice responses to reports among all U.S. mass shootings in which four or more victims were killed from 2000 to 2023 ( N = 483). Based on available evidence, our findings indicate that leakage and threats both appear more common among public mass shooters than family or felony shooters. Criminal propensity, “cry for help,” and attention-seeking theories may explain why perpetrators often reveal their violent intent. The public appears to report leakage and threats less consistently than the criminal justice system responds to such reports; however, important opportunities for improvement exist in both areas. Multiple factors help explain variation in reporting rates, but public uncertainty about individuals’ dangerousness may be the greatest barrier, rather than fears of retribution. Based on these findings and others, we offer recommendations for improving mass shooting prevention.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Health
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