Gun Violence

In recent weeks, a series of horrific mass shootings across this country has left us stunned and heartbroken. As the Vanderbilt community grieves with these communities, we recognize that it is our responsibility as a university to serve as an open forum for the vital discussions that must take place around this pressing problem. Read More

A more comprehensive, equitable approach to researching gun violence can lead to better policy solutions. Read More

About the same time a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine panel discussion on gun violence prevention ended Feb. 14 in Light Hall, a heavily armed young man barged into his former high school in Parkland, Florida, and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 17 and injuring others. Read More

“The Science of Violence and Compassion” is the subject of a panel discussion that will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at the Adventure Science Center. Read More

President Obama is set to talk to the nation on Jan. 12 for his final State of the Union address. Vanderbilt has an array of experts available. Read More

Jonathan Metzl of Vanderbilt University can comment on the sentencing of Colorado theater shooter James Holmes. Read More

Jonathan Metzl is an expert on gun violence and mental illness. And he has new research that specifically addresses issues surrounding mental illness and mass shootings. Read More

An extensive new study by two Vanderbilt University researchers challenges common assumptions about gun violence and mental illness that often emerge in the aftermath of mass shootings. Read More

After the horrific mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2011, a conservative commentator claimed that “guns don’t kill people—the mentally ill do.” Metzl believes this attitude is based on misconceptions about mental illness and violence that obscure larger issues about gun violence in America. Read More

When a mass shooting occurs there are often two camps of thought: those who feel the country needs stronger gun laws and those who blame the horrific act on mental illness. Read More