Characteristics Associated with Thoughts of Shooting Others in a National Sample of US Adults
Abstract
Importance: Firearm violence is an important public health problem in the US. Timely identification and intervention for people who have thoughts of shooting others may help reduce the risk of firearm violence. Objective: To examine the psychological and behavioral characteristics associated with thoughts of shooting others. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional analyses of the National Firearms, Alcohol, Cannabis, and Suicide (NFACS) survey administered from May 27 to September 2, 2025. The sample included 7034 US adults aged 18 years or older. Survey weights were used to align the sample to national population benchmarks. Main Outcomes and Measures: Lifetime and past-12-month thoughts of shooting others. Correlates included self-reported offensive and defensive gun use, firearm experience and substance-involved firearm handling, firearm- and non-firearm-related victimization, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, psychiatric and substance use problems, antisocial behavior, and personality. Results: Respondents who endorsed lifetime thoughts of shooting others (7.3% lifetime, n = 516; 3.3% past 12 months, n = 231) had higher rates of self-reported offensive (aOR = 3.38; 95% CI, 2.29–5.00) and defensive gun use (aOR = 3.60; 95% CI, 2.67–4.85), firearm and non-firearm victimization, handling or firing a gun under the influence of alcohol or drugs, insecure firearm storage (i.e., unlocked and loaded), and more experience with firearms. Thoughts of firearm suicide were strongly associated with thoughts of shooting others (lifetime aOR = 6.24; 95% CI, 4.57–8.51; past 12 months aOR = 9.25; 95% CI, 5.33–16.06). Thoughts of shooting others were also associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors broadly and depression, anxiety, and substance use problems. Respondents who reported thoughts of shooting others also reported high levels of antisocial behavior, intimate partner violence, and disinhibited personality traits. Conclusions and Relevance: Characteristics associated with thoughts of shooting others include risk factors across multiple domains, similar to those associated with firearm and non-firearm interpersonal violence and victimization. Future research should examine whether a combination of screening for thoughts of shooting others and assessment of associated risk factors can improve risk formulation and inform prevention strategies for firearm violence.
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BibTeX
@misc{hicks2026characteristics,
title = {{Characteristics Associated with Thoughts of Shooting Others in a National Sample of US Adults}},
author = {Brian M. Hicks and Blair J. Whittington and Mark A. Ilgen},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/6ncwh_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/6ncwh_v1/},
note = {CC0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Characteristics Associated with Thoughts of Shooting Others in a National Sample of US Adults
AU - Brian M. Hicks
AU - Blair J. Whittington
AU - Mark A. Ilgen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/6ncwh_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/6ncwh_v1/
AB - Importance: Firearm violence is an important public health problem in the US. Timely identification and intervention for people who have thoughts of shooting others may help reduce the risk of firearm violence. Objective: To examine the psychological and behavioral characteristics associated with thoughts of shooting others. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional analyses of the National Firearms, Alcohol, Cannabis, and Suicide (NFACS) survey administered from May 27 to September 2, 2025. The sample included 7034 US adults aged 18 years or older. Survey weights were used to align the sample to national population benchmarks. Main Outcomes and Measures: Lifetime and past-12-month thoughts of shooting others. Correlates included self-reported offensive and defensive gun use, firearm experience and substance-involved firearm handling, firearm- and non-firearm-related victimization, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, psychiatric and substance use problems, antisocial behavior, and personality. Results: Respondents who endorsed lifetime thoughts of shooting others (7.3% lifetime, n = 516; 3.3% past 12 months, n = 231) had higher rates of self-reported offensive (aOR = 3.38; 95% CI, 2.29–5.00) and defensive gun use (aOR = 3.60; 95% CI, 2.67–4.85), firearm and non-firearm victimization, handling or firing a gun under the influence of alcohol or drugs, insecure firearm storage (i.e., unlocked and loaded), and more experience with firearms. Thoughts of firearm suicide were strongly associated with thoughts of shooting others (lifetime aOR = 6.24; 95% CI, 4.57–8.51; past 12 months aOR = 9.25; 95% CI, 5.33–16.06). Thoughts of shooting others were also associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors broadly and depression, anxiety, and substance use problems. Respondents who reported thoughts of shooting others also reported high levels of antisocial behavior, intimate partner violence, and disinhibited personality traits. Conclusions and Relevance: Characteristics associated with thoughts of shooting others include risk factors across multiple domains, similar to those associated with firearm and non-firearm interpersonal violence and victimization. Future research should examine whether a combination of screening for thoughts of shooting others and assessment of associated risk factors can improve risk formulation and inform prevention strategies for firearm violence.
ER -