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Abstract

There is a disturbing connection between mass shootings and violence against women. This connection is one which the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act, which prohibits any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing guns, seeks to disrupt. This Note argues that the Lautenberg Amendment, while an invaluable tool in the fight against mass shootings, does not go far enough. Gender-based crimes other than domestic violence, specifically stalking and sexual assault, are also indicative of a potential for future mass violence. Thus, the Lautenberg Amendment should be expanded to apply to those convicted of misdemeanor crimes of stalking and sexual assault. Part I presents an overview of studies conducted on mass shootings and domestic violence, as well as case studies of instances in which mass shootings, stalking, and sexual assault converged. Part II examines the connection between mass shootings and violence against women by employing a hegemonic masculinity perspective. Part III makes the case for expanding the Lautenberg Amendment to apply to those convicted of misdemeanor crimes of stalking and sexual assault. Part IV looks to initiatives launched in Mexico and the United States as examples of how non-legal actors could go about targeting a root cause of mass shootings: the narrow and dangerous conception of what it is to be a man in the United States.

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