The mixed methods analysis of police and non-police shooters

The purpose of this mixed-methods research is to discover the common and differentiating factors between criminals who shoot at police or who shoot at others in Canada. This research collected secondary data from 52 participants. Two sample groups are the police shooters (shooters who target the police) and the general shooters (shooters who target nonpolice). Each sample group contained 26 participants from across Canada. Data was analyzed using a convergent, mixed methods approach. Both quantitative and qualitative factors were involved in the analysis. The research question of this study was, “How do characteristics vary for Canadian criminal shooters who target police compared to those who do not?” The characteristics are the identified past and present variables that may contribute to the criminal shooting. It was concluded that the police shooters and general shooters are similar, but they have some differences. There was a highly significant association between the police shooter and being arrested, there was a very significant association between the general shooter and the drug trade, and there was a marginally significant association between the police shooter and experiencing a traumatic event (in adulthood). The remaining variables discussed in this study were non-significant, but still relevant.