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James Densley on Muck Rack

James Densley

(He/Him)
  • Associate Professor, Metropolitan State University
Minneapolis, Saint Paul
As seen in: CNN, MSN, The New York Times, The New York Times en Español, Business Insider, Daily Mail, HuffPost, The Guardian, The Independent (UK), The Sun and
Covers:  Crime, gun violence, mass shootings, street gangs, drug dealing, social media, policing.
@jillkpeterson & James Densley's nonpartisan, nonprofit research center known worldwide for its mass shooter database. linktr.ee/theviolenceproject

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James Densley’s Biography

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Dr. James Densley is an internationally recognized criminologist, bestselling author, and leading voice in violence prevention. He is Professor and Department Chair of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Metro State University and Co-Founder of The Violence Prevention Project Research Center ("The Violence Project") at Hamline University.
Known for pioneering studies on street gangs, criminal networks, mass shootings, and policing, Densley has authored nine books and edited two others, includin…

James Densley’s Journalist Portfolio

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We Study Mass Shooters. Something Terrifying Is Happening Online.

We Study Mass Shooters. Something Terrifying Is Happening Online.

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I'm an expert on school shootings. I thought I was unshockable

I'm an expert on school shootings. I thought I was unshockable

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Opinion | We Profiled the 'Signs of Crisis' in 50 Years of Mass Shootings. This Is What We Found.

Opinion | We Profiled the 'Signs of Crisis' in 50 Years of Mass Shootings. This Is What We Found.

He was accused of threatening to kill his roommate. He believed his family tried to poison him. He thought hi…

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The Steps We Can Take to Reduce Mass Shootings in America

The Steps We Can Take to Reduce Mass Shootings in America

There is not one easy solution to mass shootings in the U.S. but a combination of changes can make a differen…

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Opinion | Hate is not at the root of most mass shootings

Opinion | Hate is not at the root of most mass shootings

Hatred, often cited as a motivation for mass shootings such as the one in Buffalo, N.Y., is not a cause, but …

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Assessing Shooting Threats Is a Matter of Life or Death. Why Aren't Experts Better at It?

Assessing Shooting Threats Is a Matter of Life or Death. Why Aren't Experts Better at It?

There is no playbook for schools, and they need all the help they can get.

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Articles

Public Support for Active Shooter Drills, Arming Teachers, and Target Hardening: Evidence from a National Experiment

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By James Densley, David Pyrooz, Jillian Peterson
| Taylor & Francis Online
ABSTRACT Prior studies document baseline public support for school safety measures but offer limited evidence about what shifts those views. We surveyed a national sample of U.S. adults (N = 10,000) in January 2024 and embedded randomized vignettes assessing support for active shooter drills, arming teachers, and target hardening. Support was highest for target hardening (85%), lower for drills (73–83% by school level), and lowest for arming teachers (36–41%).
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New Databases on Lethal Violence at Work, in Hospitals, and on Campus

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By James Densley, Jillian Peterson
| Security Management (US) Verified
Inside the Perimeter: New Databases on Lethal Violence at Work, in Hospitals, and on Campus Across three new U.S. homicide databases released by the Violence Prevention Project, one finding dominates. The killer already had a way in. In 94 percent of workplace insider homicides, the killer walked through the front door on credentials he or she already had. In 95 percent of campus homicides, the perpetrator faced no access restrictions.
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Students are taught to hide in closets and under tables if there is a school shooting – but does practicing for this possibility keep kids safe?

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By James Densley
| Inkl
Most schools do lockdown drills, but there is not any federal guidance on the best approach to this practice. TW Farlow/iStock/Getty Images Plus They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a school shooting with lockdown drills – typically, hiding in the corner of a dark classroom, behind a locked door.
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Interview

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Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes! An old Imperial Typewriter from my hometown of Leicester, England.

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

My PhD :-)

What's your favorite social network?

None. They all monetize outrage.

Awards

UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award

2017 - Outstanding individual volunteers
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Minnesota Book Award

2022 - General Nonfiction

The Minnesota Book Awards are presented annually for books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans. The award, originally established in 1988, is organized by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.

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