James Alan Fox

The scope and horror of American gun violence can create the impression of an intractable problem. But that impression runs counter to the data, according to James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University.

“This is not a victory lap for gun reform—it’s a return to a more typical level,” said James Alan Fox, a research professor of criminology, law, and public policy at Northeastern who oversees the database, in an interview with Newsweek.

“Sir Isaac Newton never studied crime, but he says ‘What goes up must come down,’” said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University. 

The mass killings — defined as incidents in which four or more people are killed in a 24-hour period, not including the killer — are tracked in the database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Fox, who manages the database, says mass killings were down about 24% this year compared […]

“Sir Isaac Newton never studied crime, but he says ‘What goes up must come down,’” said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University. 

Many people don’t feel directly threatened and are drawn in by the thrill of amateur sleuthing, says James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University.

James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, said that trend has been relatively consistent over time, thanks in part to the state’s strict gun laws and top hospitals. On homicide data, “we’re not always number one lowest, but we’re always on the low end, as is our state,” Fox said.