2023 Theses Master's

Masculinity, Misogyny, and Mass Shootings: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Mass Shootings in the United States

Blake, Emma

Mass shootings pose vast and powerful threats to fundamental human rights in the United States. Though scholarly and policy discussions of mass shootings typically center around mental health or the deplorable state of American gun laws, these discussions overlook the role of gender in these acts of mass violence. However, a small body of scholarship suggests the existence of a clear relationship between mass shootings, misogyny, and gender-based violence (GBV).

Using a mixed methods approach, this thesis builds on existing literature by exploring the relationship between mass shootings and domestic violence. Specifically, I use data from the Violence Project’s Mass Shooter Database to analyze commonalities underlying 67 mass shootings from 1966-2022 in which the perpetrator had a history of domestic violence. I also conduct a case-study analysis of three mass shooters—Omar Mateen, Devin Patrick Kelley, and Nikolas Cruz—who were abusive towards their family members and intimate partners.

Combined, this analysis reveals that the legal system overwhelmingly and disproportionately confers onto abusers a de facto and de jure impunity despite their violent and misogynistic histories. This conclusion has implications for the development of better gun violence prevention strategies and strengthened domestic violence policies.