Criminologist David Wilson has spent over three decades interviewing and profiling some of Britain’s most infamous serial killers.
His work cuts through the Hollywood mythos of brilliant predators and instead highlights a grim reality: serial killers thrive by preying on those most vulnerable.
From Dennis Nilsen to Harold Shipman, Wilson’s interviews and prison work have consistently shown a pattern. Certain groups—whether marginalized, isolated, or overlooked—bear the brunt of serial violence. And that reality leads to two unavoidable conclusions.
First, these groups need to recognize their elevated risks. Second, society should encourage them to embrace their right to self-defense, including the responsible exercise of Second Amendment protections where available or when it makes sense.
Who Serial Killers Target
Wilson’s research identifies five main groups consistently targeted by serial killers in the UK, with clear parallels in the U.S.:
- Women over 60 – Frequently dismissed or ignored in a youth-obsessed culture, making their deaths less scrutinized. Harold Shipman, the notorious British doctor, exploited this blind spot, murdering over 200 older women under the guise of medical care.
- Sex workers – Often working in isolated conditions and marginalized by law enforcement, creating prime opportunities for predators. Their vulnerability is compounded by addiction and a lack of protection.
- Gay men – Targeted due to persistent homophobia and mistrust between victims and authorities. Dennis Nilsen and later Stephen Port exploited this prejudice, knowing police would downplay or dismiss missing-person reports.
- Young women and girls – Especially infants and children in institutional care, as seen in the case of Lucy Letby, convicted of killing babies under her watch.
- The homeless – A modern “rubbing point” in Wilson’s terms. Their deaths often go unexamined, attributed to addiction or exposure, leaving them easy prey for predators who know no one is watching.
The common denominator?
Vulnerability born from cultural blind spots, social stigma, or systemic neglect. Serial killers don’t hunt the strong, the protected, or the visible. They hunt those who are isolated, ignored, or deemed less valuable by society.
Why Awareness Matters
Wilson stresses that focusing solely on the killers misses the point. The real lesson is in understanding the vulnerability of the victims.
When society ignores certain groups—whether older women dismissed as “unimportant,” gay men marginalized by bias, or sex workers criminalized instead of protected—it creates a vacuum predators exploit.
For individuals, awareness is step one. Knowing that predators target those they perceive as weak or overlooked should fuel vigilance. It also underscores the importance of community—of refusing to let society write off groups as expendable.
But awareness alone isn’t enough. It must be paired with empowerment.
Why Self-Defense and 2A Rights Matter
Predators exploit weakness. The most effective counter to that is strength—especially the ability to defend oneself when seconds matter. That’s where the Second Amendment becomes critical.
For sex workers walking dark streets, for older women living alone, for members of marginalized communities facing targeted hate, a firearm can mean the difference between being a statistic and surviving an encounter.
The police can’t be everywhere. As Wilson’s stories reveal, even when victims did report their danger, bias or neglect meant law enforcement often did nothing.
SEE ALSO: The Mozambique Drill in The Movies
In America, the Constitution provides what many of Wilson’s British victims lacked: the right to keep and bear arms. That right isn’t a cure-all, but it levels the playing field.
A woman in her 70s may not overpower a younger attacker—but she doesn’t have to if she’s armed. A gay man targeted by someone exploiting prejudice doesn’t have to wait for society to catch up—he can take responsibility for his own protection.
Fast Fire Facts: Murder by the Numbers
- Clear-up rate: Roughly 90% of murders are solved in the UK. That’s far higher than most people guess.
- Where it happens: You’re most likely to be murdered in your own home — specifically, the kitchen, where arguments and knives collide.
- Who kills: Nine out of ten murderers are men.
- Who dies: Seven out of ten murder victims are also men, though women suffer disproportionately in partner or ex-partner killings.
- Stranger danger? Rare. Most murders involve someone the victim already knows.
- Vulnerable groups: Beyond the general stats, certain groups — older women, sex workers, gay men, infants, and the homeless — are repeatedly targeted by serial killers.
A Call to Empower the Vulnerable
Wilson concludes that serial killers are drawn to cultural “friction points,” places where society has failed to value certain lives. While his solution emphasizes systemic reform, in the here and now, individuals must recognize that predators exist and act accordingly.
For vulnerable groups, that means two things:
- Awareness – Understand why your demographic is targeted. Serial killers aren’t random—they select victims who appear powerless, invisible, or unlikely to be defended.
- Empowerment – Exercise your right to self-defense. Arm responsibly. Train diligently. Refuse to be the kind of “easy target” that predators seek out.
Final Word
David Wilson’s decades of work cut through the romantic myths of serial killers. They are not masterminds—they are opportunists. And they strike when they perceive weakness.
Society may still undervalue the elderly, the marginalized, or the homeless. But individuals don’t have to play along. By recognizing vulnerabilities and embracing the right to self-defense, the groups most often targeted by predators can ensure they’re no longer easy prey.
Because at the end of the day, the best deterrent against those who hunt the vulnerable is to make sure the vulnerable can fight back.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Read the full article here
