For the past 2 years, Dr. Peterson and Dr. Densley have been leading a research study, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, examining the life histories of hundreds of mass shooters since 1966.  Using publicly available data, records, and interviews with incarcerated perpetrators and people who knew them, they have created a public database to drive effective policy. This presentation will explore the patterns in the lives of mass shooters and present a data-driven framework for prevention. 

Jillian Peterson, Ph.D. is a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline University and co-founder of The Violence Project, a non-partisan think tank. She has a Master's degree and Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to graduate school, Dr. Peterson worked as an investigator in New York City, researching the life histories of men facing the death penalty for their sentencing hearings. Dr. Peterson's is a sought after trainer and speaker in the areas of forensic psychology, mental illness in the criminal justice system, crisis intervention, and mass violence. 

James Densley is Professor of Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University and co-founder of The Violence Project. He has received global media attention for his work on street gangs, criminal networks, violence, and policing. Densley has been an invited or plenary speaker on three continents and is the author of two books, 40 refereed articles in leading social science journals, and over 50 book chapters, essays, and other non-refereed works.

He earned his PhD in sociology from the University of Oxford.