How Do Mass Shooters Pick Their Targets? Expert Says Key Question Often Overlooked

The methods of mass shooters can be overlooked, even if they have a stark bearing on how governments should deal with such incidents.

Stones of remembrance are place in front of Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 22, 2026. George Chan/Getty Images

U.S. academic and crime analyst John Lott Jr. says more discussion is needed on how mass shooters plan their attacks, rather than just motivation and ideology, which typically receives the most media attention.

Lott Jr., founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center, was in Australia on a speaking tour last month following the Bondi Beach terror attack that targeted the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah and killed 15 people on Dec. 14. last year.