The Virginia Beach municipal center mass shooting: A retrospective threat assessment using the WAVR-21.

Abstract

The 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting represents an extreme but important incident in the broader context of workplace violence. It is both one of the deadliest cases of workplace violence in U.S. history and also one of the most confusing. Investigators who studied the perpetrator concluded that they "did not uncover any indications of violent tendencies" and "we may never know why he committed this heinous act." However, by using the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk-21, Version 3, in a retrospective study of evidence from official reports and previously unreleased documents and photographs, we hope to generate new insights. Overall, our findings suggest that at least 12 risk factors for violence were prominent or present in the Virginia Beach mass shooter's life, and that he clearly posed a significant threat of violence before his attack. We provide the details so that practitioners and researchers can better understand this individual's trajectory toward mass violence, which could inform and enhance their future work. We also offer several recommendations for improving behavioral threat assessment and management strategies and violence prevention in workplace settings. Public Significance StatementPublic mass shootings occur most frequently in workplace settings. Therefore, it is important that evidence-based tools and strategies are implemented to identify potential threats of targeted violence. This study closely analyzed the 2019 Virginia Beach Municipal Center mass shooter using the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk-21, Version 3, and found that he clearly posed a significant threat of violence before his attack.