Gun Violence Research News

Mapping America's Firearm Ecosystem to Identify Solutions for Mass Shootings

Maurizio Porfiri, an engineering professor at New York University, is using mathematical equations to provide insights into gun violence and help policymakers make informed decisions. His team has created mathematical models that can predict gun homicides and sort through different pieces of information, including Twitter, background checks, and Google Trends. Porfiri is also mapping America's "firearm ecosystem" to understand how policies shape individual behavior and how states interact with each other. His research has found that media coverage of gun regulation has a strong causality with gun sales after mass shootings.