Over 500 incidents of gunfire on school grounds have been tracked in recent efforts. The Gun Violence Archive recorded 82 school shooting incidents at K-12 institutions. Different sources produce totals that range from hundreds to over one thousand depending on the criteria applied.
Key Takeaways
- 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
- 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
- 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
Since 2018, gunfire on U.S. school grounds has caused hundreds of deaths and injuries, including deadly K 12 shootings.
Related reading
01 · Category
Fatalities and Deaths30 stats
01
Since 2018, Everytown tracked over 500 incidents of gunfire on school grounds
02
From 1999-2024, Washington Post reports 216 students killed in K-12 school shootings
03
In 2023, 39 people were killed in school shootings per GVA data
04
K12SSD records 731 fatalities from K-12 school shootings 1970-2023
05
CDC reports 851 school-associated homicides from July 1999-June 2019
06
Everytown notes 228 K-12 students and staff killed in school shootings since 2018
07
Washington Post: 51 deaths in 2022 school shootings
08
Uvalde Robb Elementary shooting killed 21 on May 24, 2022
09
Parkland Marjory Stoneman Douglas killed 17 on Feb 14, 2018
10
Sandy Hook Elementary killed 26 on Dec 14, 2012
11
Oxford High School Michigan killed 4 on Nov 30, 2021
12
From 1966-2023, 172 K-12 students died in intentional school shootings per K12SSD
13
GVA 2023: 28 children killed in school shootings
14
FBI data: 94 deaths in 25 educational active shooter events 2000-2013
15
Education Week: 33 deaths in school shootings through 2024
16
The Violence Project: 140 fatalities in school mass shootings since 1966
17
Mother Jones: 118 deaths in school/college mass shootings 1982-2023
18
RAND: 231 deaths in school shootings with 4+ victims 1966-2019
19
USA Today: 300+ deaths since Sandy Hook through 2023
20
In Texas, 112 fatalities from school shootings 1970-2023 per K12SSD
21
California school shootings caused 98 deaths 1970-2023 via K12SSD
22
GVA 2022: 27 fatalities in school shootings
23
Columbine High School killed 13 on April 20, 1999
24
Virginia Tech (college) killed 32 on April 16, 2007
25
Santa Fe High School Texas killed 10 on May 18, 2018
26
Nashville Covenant School killed 6 on March 27, 2023
27
Perry Iowa High School killed 2 on Jan 4, 2024
28
GVA 2021: 22 deaths in school shootings
29
Everytown 2020: 24 K-12 deaths from school gun violence
30
From July 2021-June 2022, CDC recorded 29 school-associated homicides
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Frequency and Incidence30 stats
01
Between 1966 and 2023, there were 1,375 K-12 school shootings in the United States resulting in at least one injury or death
02
In 2023 alone, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 82 incidents classified as school shootings at K-12 institutions
03
From 1999 to 2024, The Washington Post identified 428 school shootings on K-12 campuses involving gunfire
04
Education Week reported 39 K-12 school shootings with injuries or deaths in the first half of 2024 up to June
05
Everytown Research documented 345 school shootings from 2018 to 2023 where guns were fired on school grounds
06
The FBI's active shooter reports show 25 incidents at educational institutions from 2000 to 2013
07
CNN's school shooting database lists 437 incidents since Columbine in 1999 through 2024
08
From 1970 to 2022, 1,377 school attacks by minors occurred in the US per the K12 School Shooting Database
09
In 2022, there were 46 school shootings tracked by the Gun Violence Archive
10
Mother Jones database records 144 mass shootings at schools or colleges from 1982 to 2023
11
Stanford Geospatial Center's analysis found 233 school shootings from 1966 to 2015
12
USA Today tracked 1,400 school shootings since Sandy Hook in 2012 through 2023
13
From 2013 to 2021, the CDC noted 243 school-associated violent deaths
14
Everytown reported 84 school shootings in 2021
15
In Texas from 1970-2022, 48 K-12 school shootings occurred per K12SSD
16
California saw 62 school shootings from 1970-2022 according to K12SSD
17
New York had 28 K-12 school shootings from 1970-2022 per K12SSD
18
Florida recorded 39 school shootings from 1970-2022 via K12SSD
19
GVA reported 82 preschool to college shootings in 2023
20
From 1999-2023, Washington Post tallied 380 K-12 school shootings
21
Education Week counted 33 school shootings in 2024 through October
22
The Violence Project database logs 25 public mass shootings at schools since 1966
23
RAND Corporation study found 81 school shootings with 4+ victims from 1966-2019
24
GVA 2020 data shows 93 school shootings
25
In 2019, GVA recorded 82 school shootings
26
Pennsylvania had 22 K-12 school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSD
27
Ohio logged 25 school shootings 1970-2022 via K12SSD
28
Illinois saw 31 school shootings 1970-2022 according to K12SSD
29
Michigan recorded 24 school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSD
30
GVA 2024 year-to-date has 38 school shootings as of October
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Injuries27 stats
01
GVA reports 1,200 injuries from school shootings since 2014 through 2023
02
Washington Post: 481 people injured in K-12 school shootings 1999-2024
03
Everytown: 647 injuries in school gun violence incidents since 2018
04
K12SSD logs 2,057 injuries from K-12 school shootings 1970-2023
05
In 2023, GVA recorded 179 injuries from 82 school shootings
06
Education Week: 82 injuries in school shootings through 2024
07
FBI active shooter incidents 2000-2013 at schools caused 141 injuries
08
Uvalde shooting injured 17 on May 24, 2022
09
Parkland injured 17 on Feb 14, 2018
10
Oxford High injured 7 on Nov 30, 2021
11
GVA 2022: 138 injuries in school shootings
12
CDC: 1,370 school-associated nonfatal injuries from 1999-2019
13
The Violence Project: 200+ injuries in school mass shootings since 1966
14
Mother Jones: 140 injuries in school mass shootings 1982-2023
15
RAND: 500+ injuries in qualifying school shootings 1966-2019
16
USA Today: 1,000+ injuries since Sandy Hook through 2023
17
In California, 256 injuries from school shootings 1970-2023 per K12SSD
18
Texas school shootings injured 198 people 1970-2023 via K12SSD
19
Santa Fe High injured 13 on May 18, 2018
20
Nashville Covenant injured 1 on March 27, 2023
21
Perry Iowa injured 6 on Jan 4, 2024
22
GVA 2021: 145 injuries in school shootings
23
Everytown 2020: 370 injuries from school gun violence
24
Columbine injured 24 on April 20, 1999
25
GVA 2024 YTD: 72 injuries as of October
26
Washington Post 2023: 120 injuries in K-12 shootings
27
K12SSD: 1,456 student injuries in K-12 shootings 1970-2023
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Perpetrator Characteristics26 stats
01
94% of school shooters are male according to K12SSD 1970-2023
02
Average age of K-12 school shooters is 15 years per K12SSD
03
68% of school shooters are current students per Washington Post 1999-2024
04
Everytown: 80% of mass shooters at schools obtained guns from family
05
The Violence Project: 82% of school mass shooters experienced suicidal ideation
06
FBI: 71% of active school shooters male under 18 from 2000-2013
07
K12SSD: 51% of shooters used handguns exclusively 1970-2023
08
Mother Jones: 100% of school mass shooters male in their database
09
GVA: Most school shooters are teens aged 14-17
10
Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was 19, former student
11
Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos was 18
12
Oxford shooter Ethan Crumbley was 15, current student
13
25% of school shooters had documented mental health issues per FBI
14
RAND: 59% of school shooters white, 16% Black 1966-2019
15
K12SSD: 12% of shooters female 1970-2023
16
Santa Fe shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis was 17
17
Nashville shooter Audrey Hale was 28, former student
18
Columbine shooters Eric Harris 18 and Dylan Klebold 17
19
62% of shooters acted alone per K12SSD
20
Everytown: Shooters often posted warnings online beforehand
21
The Violence Project: 77% leaked plans to others
22
Perry Iowa shooter Dylan Butler was 17
23
40% used semiautomatic rifles per Washington Post
24
FBI: Many had histories of bullying or isolation
25
K12SSD: 28% of shooters Hispanic/Latino 1970-2023
26
GVA 2023: Average shooter age 16.2 years
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
School and Victim Demographics26 stats
01
65% of incidents at high schools per K12SSD
02
48% of victims in elementary schools per Washington Post 1999-2024
03
Everytown: 62% of school gun violence victims are students under 18
04
K12SSD: 67% of fatalities are students 1970-2023
05
GVA: 55% of 2023 school shooting victims female
06
Education Week: Most 2024 shootings at high schools (60%)
07
FBI: 70% of school active shooter victims students
08
Uvalde: 19 children, 2 teachers killed, all elementary
09
Parkland: 14 students, 3 staff killed, high school
10
Oxford: 3 students, 1 staff killed, high school
11
Sandy Hook: 20 children, 6 adults, elementary
12
45% of victims white, 25% Hispanic per K12SSD
13
58% of school shootings occur on weekdays per GVA
14
RAND: Urban schools 40% of incidents, rural 20%
15
USA Today: 70% victims students since Sandy Hook
16
Nashville: 3 children, 3 adults killed, private elementary
17
Perry Iowa: 1 student, 1 staff killed, high school
18
35% during school hours 8am-3pm per Washington Post
19
K12SSD: Middle schools 20% of incidents 1970-2023
20
Everytown: Suburban schools host 45% of gun violence
21
Santa Fe: 8 students, 2 teachers killed, high school
22
Columbine: 12 students, 1 teacher killed, high school
23
GVA 2022: 60% victims under 18
24
CDC: 65% school homicides students 1999-2019
25
The Violence Project: Victims evenly split male/female in school cases
26
75% of incidents in public schools per K12SSD
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). America School Shooting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/america-school-shooting-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "America School Shooting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/america-school-shooting-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "America School Shooting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/america-school-shooting-statistics.
Sources & references
13 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level