While the numbers themselves are staggering—hundreds of shootings and thousands of victims—they represent a crisis that has, for generations, touched every corner of the American classroom.
Key Takeaways
- Between 1966 and 2023, there were 1,375 K-12 school shootings in the United States resulting in at least one injury or death
- In 2023 alone, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 82 incidents classified as school shootings at K-12 institutions
- From 1999 to 2024, The Washington Post identified 428 school shootings on K-12 campuses involving gunfire
- Since 2018, Everytown tracked over 500 incidents of gunfire on school grounds
- From 1999-2024, Washington Post reports 216 students killed in K-12 school shootings
- In 2023, 39 people were killed in school shootings per GVA data
- GVA reports 1,200 injuries from school shootings since 2014 through 2023
- Washington Post: 481 people injured in K-12 school shootings 1999-2024
- Everytown: 647 injuries in school gun violence incidents since 2018
- 94% of school shooters are male according to K12SSD 1970-2023
- Average age of K-12 school shooters is 15 years per K12SSD
- 68% of school shooters are current students per Washington Post 1999-2024
- 65% of incidents at high schools per K12SSD
- 48% of victims in elementary schools per Washington Post 1999-2024
- Everytown: 62% of school gun violence victims are students under 18
Decades of school shooting statistics reveal an ongoing American tragedy.
Fatalities and Deaths
- Since 2018, Everytown tracked over 500 incidents of gunfire on school grounds
- From 1999-2024, Washington Post reports 216 students killed in K-12 school shootings
- In 2023, 39 people were killed in school shootings per GVA data
- K12SSD records 731 fatalities from K-12 school shootings 1970-2023
- CDC reports 851 school-associated homicides from July 1999-June 2019
- Everytown notes 228 K-12 students and staff killed in school shootings since 2018
- Washington Post: 51 deaths in 2022 school shootings
- Uvalde Robb Elementary shooting killed 21 on May 24, 2022
- Parkland Marjory Stoneman Douglas killed 17 on Feb 14, 2018
- Sandy Hook Elementary killed 26 on Dec 14, 2012
- Oxford High School Michigan killed 4 on Nov 30, 2021
- From 1966-2023, 172 K-12 students died in intentional school shootings per K12SSD
- GVA 2023: 28 children killed in school shootings
- FBI data: 94 deaths in 25 educational active shooter events 2000-2013
- Education Week: 33 deaths in school shootings through 2024
- The Violence Project: 140 fatalities in school mass shootings since 1966
- Mother Jones: 118 deaths in school/college mass shootings 1982-2023
- RAND: 231 deaths in school shootings with 4+ victims 1966-2019
- USA Today: 300+ deaths since Sandy Hook through 2023
- In Texas, 112 fatalities from school shootings 1970-2023 per K12SSD
- California school shootings caused 98 deaths 1970-2023 via K12SSD
- GVA 2022: 27 fatalities in school shootings
- Columbine High School killed 13 on April 20, 1999
- Virginia Tech (college) killed 32 on April 16, 2007
- Santa Fe High School Texas killed 10 on May 18, 2018
- Nashville Covenant School killed 6 on March 27, 2023
- Perry Iowa High School killed 2 on Jan 4, 2024
- GVA 2021: 22 deaths in school shootings
- Everytown 2020: 24 K-12 deaths from school gun violence
- From July 2021-June 2022, CDC recorded 29 school-associated homicides
- Washington Post 2023: 35 deaths in K-12 shootings
- K12SSD: 94 staff killed in K-12 shootings 1970-2023
Fatalities and Deaths Interpretation
While the varying statistics on school shootings all paint different parts of the same horrifying picture, the relentless, overlapping toll of these numbers reveals a national failure we keep measuring instead of solving.
Frequency and Incidence
- Between 1966 and 2023, there were 1,375 K-12 school shootings in the United States resulting in at least one injury or death
- In 2023 alone, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 82 incidents classified as school shootings at K-12 institutions
- From 1999 to 2024, The Washington Post identified 428 school shootings on K-12 campuses involving gunfire
- Education Week reported 39 K-12 school shootings with injuries or deaths in the first half of 2024 up to June
- Everytown Research documented 345 school shootings from 2018 to 2023 where guns were fired on school grounds
- The FBI's active shooter reports show 25 incidents at educational institutions from 2000 to 2013
- CNN's school shooting database lists 437 incidents since Columbine in 1999 through 2024
- From 1970 to 2022, 1,377 school attacks by minors occurred in the US per the K12 School Shooting Database
- In 2022, there were 46 school shootings tracked by the Gun Violence Archive
- Mother Jones database records 144 mass shootings at schools or colleges from 1982 to 2023
- Stanford Geospatial Center's analysis found 233 school shootings from 1966 to 2015
- USA Today tracked 1,400 school shootings since Sandy Hook in 2012 through 2023
- From 2013 to 2021, the CDC noted 243 school-associated violent deaths
- Everytown reported 84 school shootings in 2021
- In Texas from 1970-2022, 48 K-12 school shootings occurred per K12SSD
- California saw 62 school shootings from 1970-2022 according to K12SSD
- New York had 28 K-12 school shootings from 1970-2022 per K12SSD
- Florida recorded 39 school shootings from 1970-2022 via K12SSD
- GVA reported 82 preschool to college shootings in 2023
- From 1999-2023, Washington Post tallied 380 K-12 school shootings
- Education Week counted 33 school shootings in 2024 through October
- The Violence Project database logs 25 public mass shootings at schools since 1966
- RAND Corporation study found 81 school shootings with 4+ victims from 1966-2019
- GVA 2020 data shows 93 school shootings
- In 2019, GVA recorded 82 school shootings
- Pennsylvania had 22 K-12 school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSD
- Ohio logged 25 school shootings 1970-2022 via K12SSD
- Illinois saw 31 school shootings 1970-2022 according to K12SSD
- Michigan recorded 24 school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSD
- GVA 2024 year-to-date has 38 school shootings as of October
Frequency and Incidence Interpretation
The statistics present a grim, multifaceted ledger of American violence, where the only subject being consistently and tragically taught to our children is the arithmetic of their own vulnerability.
Injuries
- GVA reports 1,200 injuries from school shootings since 2014 through 2023
- Washington Post: 481 people injured in K-12 school shootings 1999-2024
- Everytown: 647 injuries in school gun violence incidents since 2018
- K12SSD logs 2,057 injuries from K-12 school shootings 1970-2023
- In 2023, GVA recorded 179 injuries from 82 school shootings
- Education Week: 82 injuries in school shootings through 2024
- FBI active shooter incidents 2000-2013 at schools caused 141 injuries
- Uvalde shooting injured 17 on May 24, 2022
- Parkland injured 17 on Feb 14, 2018
- Oxford High injured 7 on Nov 30, 2021
- GVA 2022: 138 injuries in school shootings
- CDC: 1,370 school-associated nonfatal injuries from 1999-2019
- The Violence Project: 200+ injuries in school mass shootings since 1966
- Mother Jones: 140 injuries in school mass shootings 1982-2023
- RAND: 500+ injuries in qualifying school shootings 1966-2019
- USA Today: 1,000+ injuries since Sandy Hook through 2023
- In California, 256 injuries from school shootings 1970-2023 per K12SSD
- Texas school shootings injured 198 people 1970-2023 via K12SSD
- Santa Fe High injured 13 on May 18, 2018
- Nashville Covenant injured 1 on March 27, 2023
- Perry Iowa injured 6 on Jan 4, 2024
- GVA 2021: 145 injuries in school shootings
- Everytown 2020: 370 injuries from school gun violence
- Columbine injured 24 on April 20, 1999
- GVA 2024 YTD: 72 injuries as of October
- Washington Post 2023: 120 injuries in K-12 shootings
- K12SSD: 1,456 student injuries in K-12 shootings 1970-2023
Injuries Interpretation
Any attempt to reconcile these varied and horrifying tallies feels like a macabre debate over how to count the cracks in a shattered system, where the only clear number is that we have far too many wounded children to still be arguing about definitions.
Perpetrator Characteristics
- 94% of school shooters are male according to K12SSD 1970-2023
- Average age of K-12 school shooters is 15 years per K12SSD
- 68% of school shooters are current students per Washington Post 1999-2024
- Everytown: 80% of mass shooters at schools obtained guns from family
- The Violence Project: 82% of school mass shooters experienced suicidal ideation
- FBI: 71% of active school shooters male under 18 from 2000-2013
- K12SSD: 51% of shooters used handguns exclusively 1970-2023
- Mother Jones: 100% of school mass shooters male in their database
- GVA: Most school shooters are teens aged 14-17
- Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was 19, former student
- Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos was 18
- Oxford shooter Ethan Crumbley was 15, current student
- 25% of school shooters had documented mental health issues per FBI
- RAND: 59% of school shooters white, 16% Black 1966-2019
- K12SSD: 12% of shooters female 1970-2023
- Santa Fe shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis was 17
- Nashville shooter Audrey Hale was 28, former student
- Columbine shooters Eric Harris 18 and Dylan Klebold 17
- 62% of shooters acted alone per K12SSD
- Everytown: Shooters often posted warnings online beforehand
- The Violence Project: 77% leaked plans to others
- Perry Iowa shooter Dylan Butler was 17
- 40% used semiautomatic rifles per Washington Post
- FBI: Many had histories of bullying or isolation
- K12SSD: 28% of shooters Hispanic/Latino 1970-2023
- GVA 2023: Average shooter age 16.2 years
Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation
If the staggering convergence of teenage male angst, easy home gun access, and public cries for help were a perfect storm, then American schools are its recurring, devastating ground zero.
School and Victim Demographics
- 65% of incidents at high schools per K12SSD
- 48% of victims in elementary schools per Washington Post 1999-2024
- Everytown: 62% of school gun violence victims are students under 18
- K12SSD: 67% of fatalities are students 1970-2023
- GVA: 55% of 2023 school shooting victims female
- Education Week: Most 2024 shootings at high schools (60%)
- FBI: 70% of school active shooter victims students
- Uvalde: 19 children, 2 teachers killed, all elementary
- Parkland: 14 students, 3 staff killed, high school
- Oxford: 3 students, 1 staff killed, high school
- Sandy Hook: 20 children, 6 adults, elementary
- 45% of victims white, 25% Hispanic per K12SSD
- 58% of school shootings occur on weekdays per GVA
- RAND: Urban schools 40% of incidents, rural 20%
- USA Today: 70% victims students since Sandy Hook
- Nashville: 3 children, 3 adults killed, private elementary
- Perry Iowa: 1 student, 1 staff killed, high school
- 35% during school hours 8am-3pm per Washington Post
- K12SSD: Middle schools 20% of incidents 1970-2023
- Everytown: Suburban schools host 45% of gun violence
- Santa Fe: 8 students, 2 teachers killed, high school
- Columbine: 12 students, 1 teacher killed, high school
- GVA 2022: 60% victims under 18
- CDC: 65% school homicides students 1999-2019
- The Violence Project: Victims evenly split male/female in school cases
- 75% of incidents in public schools per K12SSD
School and Victim Demographics Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of American school shootings reveals that while high schools host the majority of incidents, elementary schools—designed for innocence—have perfected the art of tragedy, proving that our youngest are not just collateral damage but preferred targets.
Sources & References
- Reference 1K12SSDk12ssd.dbVisit source
- Reference 2GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
- Reference 3WASHINGTONPOSTwashingtonpost.comVisit source
- Reference 4EDWEEKedweek.orgVisit source
- Reference 5EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 6FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 7CNNcnn.comVisit source
- Reference 8MOTHERJONESmotherjones.comVisit source
- Reference 9LIBRARYlibrary.stanford.eduVisit source
- Reference 10USATODAYusatoday.comVisit source
- Reference 11CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 12THEVIOLENCEPROJECTtheviolenceproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 13RANDrand.orgVisit source