Colton is a doctoral student in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research interests pertain to mass, youth, and firearm violence. He holds a degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Michigan State University, where he minored in Law, Justice, and Public Policy. Additional to his responsibilities in the VIPR Lab, Colton is a graduate assistant for Dr. Jessica Deitzer, analyzing behavioral tendencies of youth violence.