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Soft Targets and Crowded Places (ST-CP)
Soft Targets and Crowded Places (ST-CP)
Mass Shooting Prevention and Research Library (MSPRL)
Preventable Mass Shootings Database
Preventable Factors Itemized
The following is the running tally of Preventable Factors. It’s a working list and is edited and/or updated often. It’s presented in as simple a format as possible to make it more readable. The first number after each Preventable Factor is the number of times that Preventable Factor is recorded in the database and the second number refers to the frequency of the Preventable Factor. As indicated, almost all the Preventable Factors are tied to some degree.
| —Behavioral Red Flag Law(s) Nonexistent – Behavioral Red Flag Law(s) Nonexistent | 1 | 7- |
| —Behavioral Red Flags Ignored/Response Delayed – Perpetrator(s) Behavior Personally Erratic/Deviated from Individual/Societal Norms | 7 | 2- |
| —Behavioral Red Flags Ignored/Response Delayed – Perpetrator(s) Was in Directed and Overt Incident Preparatory Mode | 2 | 6- |
| —Behavioral Red Flags Ignored/Response Delayed – Perpetrator(s) Expressed Suicidal Ideation and/or Suicide by Police and/or Expressed Violent Intentions Privately and/or Publicly in Person and/or In Any Medium | 7 | 2- |
| —Commercial Establishment Failure – Commercial Establishment Failure | 1 | 7- |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Judicial System Failure – Custodial Issues (Questionable Release/Remand of Perpetrator) | 0 | – |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Judicial System Failure – Questionable “Blue Paper” Rejections of Perpetrator(s) | 1 | 7- |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Judicial System Failure – Questionable Search Warrant Rejections for Perpetrator | 0` | – |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Law Enforcement Failure – Delayed Response or Inaction to Perpetrator(s) at Incident Scene | 3 | 5- |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Law Enforcement Failure – Delayed/Ignored/or No Follow-up to Telltale Perpetrator(s) Event(s) Preceding Incident | 3 | 5- |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Probation/Parole Failure – Failure to Pursue/Report Probation/Parole Violation(s) for Perpetrator | 0 | – |
| —Criminal Justice System Failures – Prosecutorial Failure – Failure to Pursue Warranted Criminal Charges Against Perpetrator | 0 | – |
| —Gun Laws Inadequate – Inadequate Gun Law(s) Contributed to Perpetrator(s) Execution of the Incident | 6 | 3- |
| —Gun Laws Inadequate – Inadequate Gun Law(s) Exacerbated the Incident | 1 | 7- |
| —Mental Health System Failures/Interventions Lacking – Incident Principals Attested to Mental Health System Failure for Perpetrator(s) | 2 | 6- |
| —Mental Health System Failures/Interventions Lacking – Incident Principals Charged with Mental Health System Failure for Perpetrator | 0 | – |
| —Mental Health System Failures/Interventions Lacking – Incident Principals Identified With Metal Health System Failure for Perpetrator(s) | 1 | 7- |
| —School System Failures/Interventions Lacking – School Officials Negligent for Inaction Against Perpetrator(s) | 1 | 7- |
| —Unnecessarily Accessible Perpetrator(s) Weapon(s) – Weapon(s) Was Unnecessarily Accessible to the Perpetrator | 6 | 3- |
| —Venue Lacked Armed Individuals/Personnel – Venue Lacked Armed Individuals (Civilians)/Personnel (Military/Police/Security) | 10 | 1 |
| —Venue Structural Security Lacking – Venue Had Limited Structural Security | 1 | 7- |
| —Venue Structural Security Lacking – Venue Structural Security was Nonexistent | 1 | 7- |
| —Venue Structural Security Lacking – Venue Had Limited Perimeter Security | 0 | – |
| —Venue Perimeter Security Lacking – Venue Perimeter Security was Nonexistent | 1 | 7- |
| —Vexatious Cascade of Events Beset Perpetrator(s) – Vexatious Cascade of Events Beset Perpetrator(s) | 5 | 4 |
| —Whatever System Failure – Whatever System Failure | 2 | 6- |
The Preventable Mass Shootings Database is a work in progress and it always will be.
We conduct exhaustive ongoing research. As new data is discovered and/or released we review and edit as necessary our findings. We also adjust our findings based on legitimate external feedback that is received questioning the validity of incident content. Finally, and to a much lesser extent, we edit our findings due to the contemplated product of authors and editors which inevitably happens.
We reserve the right to amend, correct, or edit; or to delete, expel, or suspend; any entry, or any content within any entry, at anytime for any reason without notification of any kind to anybody regardless of their standing.
Preventable Rankings Scoring
The minimum number of points for any given mass shooting is 0 and the maximum is 47. However, in the case of the latter, no mass shooting is likely to rise even close to that level. A mass shooting with a ranking of 0 is considered completely unpreventable and a ranking of 23.5 or higher is considered completely preventable.
Completely Unpreventable 0 ← —————————— → 23.5+ Completely Preventable
Specifically, the current breakdown being used is as follows:
—Completely Unpreventable (0)
—Largely Unpreventable (1-3)
—Somewhat Unpreventable (4-6)
—Minimally Unpreventable (7-9)
—Debatable/Inconclusive (10-12)
—Minimally Preventable (13-15)
—Somewhat Preventable (16-18)
—Largely Preventable (19-21)
—Completely Preventable (23.5+)
—The first 23 incidents in the Preventable Mass Shootings Database are those which have been the deadliest in modern history.
—While most of the data necessary to analyze every mass shooting case to the hilt is readily available online, in some cases we utilized the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get the information needed.
—It should be noted that in some instances preventable and unpreventable denotes mitigated.