Peter F. Langman


Peter Fabbri Langman is an American counseling psychologist and author. He is a known expert on school shooters.

Professional career

Langman received his B.A. in psychology from Clark University, his M.A. in counseling psychology from Lesley College, and his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Lehigh University.
In 2009 he published his research on ten school shooters based on the analysis of the Columbine High School massacre, the Virginia Tech shooting, the Red Lake shootings, the Thurston High School shooting, the Parker Middle School dance shooting, the Westside Middle School shootings, the Heath High School shooting and the Bethel Regional High School shooting. Langman's book Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters has been translated into German, Finnish, and Dutch. When the book had been found in Munich shooter’s home as well as in the Arapahoe High School shooter’s home, a discourse began regarding whether the shooters had used the book as inspiration or for looking for a role model, someone to emulate.
In 2015 he continued his research by extending the number of analysed school shooters from ten to 48 and published the book School Shooters: Understanding High School, College, and Adult Perpetrators. On the website of Psychology Today Langman writes a blog named "Keeping Kids Safe".

Books