EVANSTON, Ill. --- A mass shooting at a Santa Fe, Texas, school has reportedly left 10 people dead and an unknown number wounded. Northwestern University professor Linda Teplin, an expert on firearm violence, is available to talk about the ramifications of the shooting and underlying issues that could feed school shootings.

“The real problem is that we cannot predict violence,” Teplin said.

She said that, after shootings, it is tempting to look at the shooter’s background and say we should have known.

“In reality, predicting violence is neither simple nor straightforward,” Teplin said. “Why? Thousands of people exhibit risk factors but never become mass shooters. In short, mass shootings, though dramatic and memorable, are too rare to predict. It is like trying to pinpoint where lightning might strike. We need to develop creative ways to address this public health crisis.”

Teplin is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a professor of medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine. She is an expert in correlates of violence, specifically firearm violence, public health policy and criminalization of the mentally ill. She is also a professor of sociology in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and holds appointments with the School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research. She can be reached at lindateplin@northwestern.edu or 773-477-0500. 

More news at Northwestern Now
Find experts on our Faculty Experts Hub
Follow @NUSources for expert perspectives