COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - New research conducted at the University of South Carolina is revealing patterns that researchers believe could help prevent gun violence.

The study, co-led by USC Assistant Professor of Criminology Brent Klein alongside researchers from other colleges, with assistance from USC students, found that school shooters in the United States are typically young men who obtained unsecured firearms from relatives or friends.

“We found some patterns that are pretty striking as well as consistent with what we know about youth firearms violence more generally,” Klein said.

Research identifies key trends

Research determined that school shootings are rarer events than Americans might think — on average, about 25 a year for the last few decades, though numbers have spiked in r

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