Mass Shooting Resources for Mayors and Other Civic Leaders

Leadership When It Matters Most

When a mass shooting takes place, it falls on our nation’s mayors and city managers to respond. To meet this critical need, Northeastern Law’s UnitedOnGuns—a project of the law school’s Public Health Advocacy Institute—interviewed civic leaders and first responders from eight cities who responded to a mass shooting. We used their harrowing experience to develop the Mass Shooting Protocol & Playbook, which provide actionable strategies leaders can use to prepare for, respond to, and help their community recover from mass shootings and incidents of mass violence.

For information about our research methodology and to review the case briefs of the eight cities that participated in this project, click here.

Completely Updated in 2025

First published in 2021 and now comprehensively revised for 2025, the Mass Shooting Protocol & Playbook incorporate best practices from recent tragedies, including mass shootings in Highland Park, IL and Nashville, TN.

Mass Shooting Resources

• Mass Shooting Protocol — A quick-reference guide to the key decisions leaders must make immediately following a mass shooting. Includes a checklist and links to the Mass Shooting Playbook for deeper guidance.

• Mass Shooting Playbook — Updated in 2025, the Playbook is a comprehensive, practical resource outlining a leader’s responsibilities across the critical phases of a mass shooting response. Click here to browse individual chapters and appendices.

• Preparedness Checklist, Tabletop Exercise Template, and Mass Shooting Timeline — Planning tools to help leaders build readiness before tragedy strikes.

• Key Resources — Find additional vetted resources for civic leaders.

Real-World Leadership

These leaders credit the Mass Shooting Protocol & Playbook as valuable resources that helped guide their response to a mass shooting:

• In their “Note to the Field” in the Playbook, Mayor Nancy Rotering and City Manager Ghida Neukirch describe the mass shooting in Highland Park, IL on July 4, 2022. They conclude, “We never believed it would happen here, but we prepared as if it could. And on that terrible day, the time and care we invested helped save lives and guide our community toward recovery. We hope our experience encourages other cities to take those same steps [to prepare]—before tragedy strikes.”

• Mayor Bryan Barnett of Rochester Hills, Michigan shared a gripping account of leading his community after the June 15, 2024 Splash Pad attack. Read his reflections in Rochester Hills Mayor Shares Challenges and Lessons in City’s Response to Splash Pad Shooting.

Proven Impact

The Playbook has been recognized by media outlets, including Fox News, NPR, Governing Magazine, and ICMA’s Public Management magazine. See more here.

Connect with Us

Sarah C. Peck 
Director, UnitedOnGuns 
s.peck@phai.org