A newly published study in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Threat Assessment and Management examines how writing, symbols, and other markings found on weapons used in mass violence incidents may provide additional context for threat assessment professionals evaluating potential warning signs.
The paper, “Weapon Inscriptions in Mass Shootings: A Structured Illustrative Case Series for BTAM,” explores how inscriptions on firearms, ammunition, and related materials can offer insight into how an individual understands their identity, grievances, beliefs, and intended targets when analyzed as part of a broader Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) framework.
Rather than treating weapon inscriptions as direct evidence of motive or intent, the researchers emphasize that such markings should be interpreted alongside other observable behaviors, communications, planning activities, leakage, and contextual risk factors. The study argues that this broader approach can help professionals better understand an individual’s trajectory and decision-making process.
Using a structured illustrative case series, the researchers categorized inscriptions into several functional groups, including identity expression, ideological messaging, references to previous attackers or conflicts, and hostile or dehumanizing language directed at perceived enemies. The findings suggest these markings can serve as communicative artifacts that may contribute to a more comprehensive assessment when systematically documented and analyzed.
The study highlights that weapon inscriptions alone should never be viewed as proof of intent. Instead, they represent one piece of a larger behavioral picture that may assist practitioners in understanding grievance formation, target selection, and meaning-making in cases involving targeted violence.
According to the author, Brian P. LeBlanc, the research provides threat assessment professionals and policymakers with a more structured and practical framework for interpreting these types of warning indicators. By incorporating weapon inscriptions into existing behavioral threat assessment practices, professionals may be better positioned to assess risk and support earlier intervention efforts before violence occurs.
The study also addresses a gap in existing threat assessment literature, noting that weapon inscriptions have received relatively little systematic examination despite occasionally appearing in mass violence investigations.
The full study is available here.
Note: Access is behind a paywall but may be available through your institutional subscription.
