Date of Conferral

2-14-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Dr. John Walker

Abstract

Despite media outcry and societal outcry, gun violence on college campuses in the United States continues to be an unresolved problem. Prior to on-campus shootings, college campuses were safe locations that were conducive to learning. Sadly, this is no longer the case. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the key characteristics of mass shootings on college campuses so that officials would be provided with information that would enable them to create safer campuses. Using a rational choice theory as the conceptual framework, which focused on the perpetrator’s behavior, a document analysis was conducted to identify and understand the different characteristics of mass shootings on college campuses. Documents related to college campus shootings from two institutions were analyzed. The institutions selected are in the Northwest region and in the Southeast region of the United States. The documents consisted of public reports, police reports, internal public safety reports, scholarly journal articles, and a published dissertation. The central research question sought to answer: What are the characteristics of a mass shooting on a college campus? Key findings from the thematic analysis were the motivations of the shooter, admiration of a serial killer, and safety responses by public safety officials. Findings from the safety response included running, hiding, and active responses aimed at survival. The findings point to implications for positive social change. The findings conclude that it is nearly impossible to predict when or where a mass shooting on a college campus will occur or who the perpetrator may be. However, it is reasonable to build proper safety response protocols that can limit the success of a perpetrator and enhance the safety of the campus population.

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