A Comprehensive Assessment of Deadly Mass Shootings, 1980-2018, United States (ICPSR 38482)

Version Date: Sep 29, 2022 View help for published

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Jillian J. Turanovic, Florida State University

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38482.v2

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  • V2 [2022-09-29]
  • V1 [2022-09-14] unpublished
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As deadly mass shootings constitute a pressing concern for Americans, the database was created to assess features and trends in all deadly mass shootings in America between 1980 and 2018. In these data, mass shootings encompass all incidents with four or more gunshot fatalities, not including the shooter, within 24 hours. Open source media reports as well as official police and court records were used to code and verify details of mass shooting incidents. The data include information on public deadly mass shooting incidents, as well as all the other deadly mass shootings that occurred over this period (e.g., those that happened in private spaces among family members, and those that occurred in public spaces but were part of another criminal event). In all, the database contains information on 719 incidents that occurred in both public and private spaces between 1980 and 2018.

Turanovic, Jillian J. A Comprehensive Assessment of Deadly Mass Shootings, 1980-2018, United States. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2022-09-29. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38482.v2

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United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (2018-75-CX-0024)

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Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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1980-01-01 -- 2018-12-31
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The purpose of this study is to compile a comprehensive database to assess features and trends in all deadly mass shootings in America between 1980 and 2018. In these data, mass shootings encompass all incidents with four or more gunshot fatalities, not including the shooter, within 24 hours.

Data was collected from consulting 21 existing databases and reports on homicides, gun violence, and mass shootings. Two additional sources were located for each incident found through these databases. Systematic internet searches were conducted to review journalistic sources. Lastly, a review of official records was conducted, using the Florida State University Law Library, law enforcement agencies, court records, legal databases, shooters' criminal histories, and civil court proceedings.

Longitudinal: Cohort / Event-based

Deadly mass shooting events with four or more gunshot fatalities, not including the shooter, within 24 hours.

Event/Process

Variable groups include date of shooting, location of shooting, public or private nature of shooting, nature of the crime, shooter demographics, victim counts, victim demographics, number and type of firearms used, shooters' legal and medical history, and news coverage of each incident.

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2022-09-14

2022-09-29 The ICPSR Codebook is being updated to revise the study information and website found in the ICPSR Processing notes.

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Journal Article
2025
Widdowson, Alex O., McMahon, Katelyn M., Kratzwald, Holly M. The influence of acute life stressors on mass shooter outcomes. Journal of Criminal Justice. 96, .
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Report
2022
Turanovic, Jillian J., Pratt, Travis C., Neville, Kristen, La Tosa, Antonia A Comprehensive Assessment of Deadly Mass Shootings, 1980-2018. Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation on Firearms Violence Final Summary Overview. 305090, .
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Notes

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

NACJD logo

This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.