Home / Gun violence

Guns: 15 mass shootings that changed the law

This 15 case study report examined pivotal gun massacres around the world and analysed what, if any, such tragedies did to inform gun control debates in their country and beyond. We found that the United States is the only country in the world where the laws were loosened after a gun massacre, rather than tightened.

gun violence, public health, criminal justice, media framing, discourse analysis, policy reform, Dunblane massacre, Las Vegas shooting, Port Arthur massacre, media narratives, political economy, international comparison, gun control, public safety, mental health, trauma, legislative response, societal impact, policy recommendations

Responding to gun massacres: a discourse analysis of how political and media narratives shape health and justice responses

This report analyses how media and political narratives shape responses to gun massacres in the UK, US, and Australia, highlighting contrasting public health, criminal justice, and regulatory framings in the cases of Dunblane, Las Vegas, and Port Arthur.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

The Las Vegas massacre reveals a troublesome, global truth about guns

The 2nd Amendement laid the ground for the Las Vegas massacre, as it lays the ground for massacres not just in the US, but all around the world.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: why America is the exception

Why does the US react so uniquely to gun massacres? Instead of tightening US gun regulation, it is often loosened, making it easier to access and carry firearms.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: about this project

A rationale of AOAV's review of 15 shootings that changed the law.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

The world’s response to mass shootings – conclusions from AOAV

Outside conflict zones, mass shootings tend to follow a predictable pattern.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law

AOAV looks at 15 mass shootings and the legal impact on gun control they had.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Hungerford, 1987

17 people were killed, and 15 injured in the quiet English town of Hungerford in 1987.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Winnenden, 2009

16 people died, and 9 were injured in Winnenden, Germany in 2009.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Aurora, 2012

12 people were killed, and 58 injured in a shooting in a cinema in Colorado, USA, in 2012.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Montreal, 1989

15 people were killed, and 14 were injured in Montreal, Canada, in 1989.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Chicago, 1929

7 were killed in Chicago, USA, in 1927.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

15 shootings that changed the law: Dunblane, 1996

18 were killed, and 17 injured in a shooting in a Scottish primary school in 1996.