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James Densley

He/Him

  • Professor, Department Chair
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4593-1880

Credentials

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Sociology
    University of Oxford, Saint Antony's College
  • Master of Science, Sociology
    University of Oxford, Saint Antony's College
  • Master of Science for Teachers, Childhood Education
    Pace University, New York
  • Bachelor of Arts, Sociology with American Studies
    University College Northampton

Biography

James Densley is a professor and department chair of criminology and criminal justice at Metro State University. He is best known for co-creating the largest, most comprehensive database of mass shooters in the United States, known as The Violence Project.

Known for "groundbreaking" studies on gangs, violent crime, social media, mass shootings, and policing, Densley has authored nine books and edited two others, including The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic—winner of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award. His research has been featured by global media and published in 70+ scientific journals, 20+ edited volumes, and 100+ popular outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Newsweek, TIME, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Since joining the Metro State faculty in 2011, Densley has taught the following classes:

  • CJS 101: Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CJS 201: Foundations in Criminal Justice
  • CJS 301: Research Methods in Criminal Justice
  • CJS 320: Criminology and Public Policy
  • CJS 333: Gangs
  • CJS 339: Homicide Studies
  • CJS 340: Comparative Criminal Justice
  • CJS 356: Violence in America
  • CJS 382: Special Topics in Criminal Justice
  • CJS 465: Crisis Response, Mental Illness, and Working with Special Populations
  • CJS 489: Capstone in Criminal Justice - Internship
  • CJS 490: Capstone in Criminal Justice - Research
  • CJS 610: Applied Graduate Research Methods in Criminal Justice
  • CJS 620: Reducing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising?
  • CJS 625: Community Building and Social Change
  • CJS 690: Praxis Seminar II
  • CRIM 327: Police Culture
  • CRIM 330: Policing and Society

Publications (selected)

Books

Pyrooz, D., Densley, J., & Leverso, J. (2024). The Oxford handbook of gangs and society. Oxford University Press.

Densley, J. (2023). The Conversation on guns. Johns Hopkins University Press.

MacLean, C., & Densley, J. (2023). Police, prosecutors, courts, and the constitution: toward ending the “awful but lawful” era. Springer.

Densley, J., McLean, R., & Brick, C. (2023). Contesting county lines: case studies in drug crime and deviant entrepreneurship. Bristol University Press.

Decker, S., Pyrooz, D., & Densley, J. (2022). On gangs. Temple University Press.

McLean, R., & Densley, J. (2022). Robbery in the illegal drugs trade: violence and vengeance. Bristol University Press.

Peterson, J., & Densley, J. (2021) The violence project: how to stop a mass shooting epidemic. Abrams Press.

McLean, R., & Densley, J. (2020). Scotland’s gang members: life and crime in Glasgow. Palgrave Macmillan.

McLean, R., Robinson, G., & Densley, J. (2019). County lines: criminal networks and evolving drug markets in Britain. Springer.

Bumgarner, J., Hilal, S., & Densley, J. (2016). Minnesota’s criminal justice system. Carolina Academic Press.

Densley, J. (2013). How gangs work: an ethnography of youth violence. Palgrave Macmillan.

Peer-Reviewed Articles (Since 2025)

  1. Larson, R., Densley, J., Peterson, J., Manchi, J., Santaularia, N. J., Robertson, C. E., & Uggen, C. (in press). The changing nature of homicide in the Twin Cities: an interrupted time series analysis of the police murder of George Floyd. Journal of Quantitative Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-026-09653-x.

  2. Leverso, John, Hess, C., Densley, J., & Stubbs, K. (in press). GangTok: Street gang content, culture, and roleplay on TikTok. Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/17416590261418645.

  3. Peterson, J., & Densley, J. (2026). Exploring the overlap: Suicidal thoughts and homicidal acts among incarcerated offenders. Deviant Behavior, 47(3), 395–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2024.2443778.

  4. Densley, J., Pyrooz, D., & Peterson, J. (2026). Gang membership, firearm victimization, and mental health in a national sample of U.S. adults. Injury Epidemiology, 13(15). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-026-00656-7.

  5. Pyrooz, D. & Densley, J. (2025). New directions in the Eurogang program of research. International Criminology, 5(4), 433–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43576-025-00196-y.

  6. Pyrooz, D., Densley, J., & Sanchez, J. (2025). Are online opt-in panels viable data sources on hard-to-reach populations? Population and relational inferences on gang membership in the United States. International Criminology, 5(4), 438–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43576-025-00174-4.

  7. Leverso, J., Densley, J., & Insco, L. (2025). Keeping it real: a signaling theory perspective on authentic claims of gang membership made on social media. Theoretical Criminology, 29(4), 469–488. https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806241279280.

  8. Densley, J., & Peterson, J. (2025). Murder in a time of crisis: a qualitative exploration of the 2020 homicide spike through offender interviews. Journal of Crime and Justice, 48(5), 618–627. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2024.2426502.

  9. Densley, J., MacLean, C., & Hilal, S. (2025). Educating and training culturally competent peace officers: challenges and opportunities of the Minnesota model. Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 20(2), 183-203. https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2023-0029.

  10. Deuchar, R., Frondigoun, L., Densley, J., & Davidones, C. (2025). Taser use in Scotland: a qualitative study of police officer and community perspectives. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 31, 271–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-023-09569-3.

  11. Densley, J., Pyrooz, D., & Sanchez, J. (2025). Public perceptions of gangs: an experimental test of nomenclature, race/ethnicity, violence, and organization. Justice Quarterly, 42(3), 449–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2024.2378703.

  12. Densley, J., Pyrooz, D., & Peterson, J. (2025). Factors associated with secure firearm storage among U.S. gun owners. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 69(1), 107635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.04.005.

  13. Peterson, J., Densley, J., & Pyrooz, D. (2025). Mental health consequences of exposure to mass and non-mass shootings in a national sample of U.S. adults. Nature Mental Health, 3, 530–537. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00413-7.

  14. Pyrooz, D., Densley, J., & Peterson, J. (2025). Direct exposure to mass shootings among US adults. JAMA Network Open, 8(3),e250283.https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0283.

  15. Pyrooz, D., & Densley, J. (2025). Pulling back the curtain on the California gang database: evidence of racial, ethnic, and gender disparities among 222 law enforcement agencies. British Journal of Criminology, 65(1), 202–233. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azae040.

Awards and Honors

2022: Minnesota Book Award (General Nonfiction)

2019: Metro State's first "University Scholar"

2017: UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award for “outstanding individual volunteers”

2013: National Gang Crime Research Center’s Frederick Milton Thrasher Award for “superior accomplishments in gang research”

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