Mass Shootings: Re-defining and Conceptualizing the Definition

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We are proud to highlight a new research collaboration that includes our lab’s founder, Dr. Robert Motley, as a Co-Principal Investigator on a team led by Dr. Christopher St. Vil (Associate Professor, University at Buffalo School of Social Work). Alongside Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra (Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work) and Dr. Tanya L. Sharpe (Professor, University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work), the team has been awarded a $414,981 grant from the Joyce Foundation for their project titled:

“Mass Shootings: Re-defining and Conceptualizing the Definition.”

This innovative study will explore the spatial and contextual patterns of mass shootings in the United States, addressing the long-standing disconnect between media-driven narratives and empirical realities. By combining:

• Quantitative spatial analysis,
• Qualitative media reviews, and
• Insights from community town halls,

The research aims to uncover how mass shootings disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities, who are often left out of conventional definitions and policy conversations.

The study’s ultimate goal is to inform equitable, community-informed policy solutions and to advance prevention strategies grounded in lived experience.

We celebrate this important milestone and look forward to the impact this collaboration will have on how mass shootings are understood and addressed.