A federal definition in 18 U.S.C. § 36 covers drive-by shootings as using a firearm to kill or try to kill someone through vehicle use—key for charging and sentencing. On this page, you’ll see how incidents relate to broader U.S. firearm trends, including homicides and nonfatal injuries. We also look at where drive-by violence concentrates, the populations most affected, and which weapon patterns frequently show up in firearm deaths.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were 7,376 people killed and 25,412 people injured in shootings involving firearms in the United States (includes all shooting types; provides baseline for gun-violence context).
- In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 21,879 homicides (all causes) involving firearms; this is an overall gun homicide measure used as a comparator to drive-by shootings.
- In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 44,558 nonfatal firearm injuries (wounded) in the United States.
- 2022: There were 35,459 fatal and 68,648 nonfatal victims of gun violence in the Gun Violence Archive database (all gun violence categories combined).
- 2022: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,103 shootings classified as “Drive-By Shooting” (incidents) in its dataset.
- 2021: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,117 drive-by shooting incidents.
- In U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 36), “Drive-by shooting” is defined as using a firearm to kill or attempt to kill a person through vehicle use (federal definition context).
- The federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 36 sets a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for certain drive-by shootings (attempting to cause death; varies by intent and outcome).
- Under 18 U.S.C. § 36, if death results, the maximum penalty can be 20 years (or more depending on circumstances).
- Drive-by shootings disproportionately affect urban neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime (general geographic concentration findings from NIJ).
- An NIJ report on gun violence finds neighborhood-level gun violence clustering and repeat hot spots, relevant to drive-by patterns.
- RAND evidence summary on gun violence prevention notes that violent firearm incidents concentrate geographically and temporally.
- Most drive-by shootings involve the use of a handgun as the firearm type (consistent with gun violence weapon patterns; proxy).
- CDC reports that handguns account for the largest share of firearm deaths (by firearm type; applies broadly).
- In FBI UCR/NIBRS, handguns are the most common weapon type in firearm homicides.
In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,103 drive by shootings, continuing a rising trend.
Related reading
01 · Category
United States Firearm Homicide & Injury Burden30 stats
01
In 2022, there were 7,376 people killed and 25,412 people injured in shootings involving firearms in the United States (includes all shooting types; provides baseline for gun-violence context).
02
In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 21,879 homicides (all causes) involving firearms; this is an overall gun homicide measure used as a comparator to drive-by shootings.
03
In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 44,558 nonfatal firearm injuries (wounded) in the United States.
04
In 2022, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 31,179 incidents of firearm-related shootings in the United States.
05
In 2022, the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data show 25,990 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters by firearm in the U.S.
06
In 2022, the FBI UCR data show 17,839 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters by handgun in the U.S.
07
In 2022, the FBI UCR estimated 355,000 violent crimes in the United States involving firearms (all violent crime with firearm weapon category).
08
In 2021, the FBI NIBRS data indicated that 53% of firearm-related homicides used a handgun.
09
In 2021, the FBI recorded 19,587 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
10
In 2020, the FBI recorded 19,383 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
11
In 2019, the FBI recorded 16,760 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
12
In 2018, the FBI recorded 14,971 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
13
In 2017, the FBI recorded 14,415 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
14
In 2016, the FBI recorded 13,804 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
15
In 2015, the FBI recorded 12,585 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
16
In 2014, the FBI recorded 11,963 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
17
In 2013, the FBI recorded 11,610 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
18
In 2012, the FBI recorded 11,247 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
19
In 2011, the FBI recorded 10,785 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
20
In 2010, the FBI recorded 10,317 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
21
In 2009, the FBI recorded 9,870 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
22
In 2008, the FBI recorded 9,230 firearm murders and nonnegligent manslaughters.
23
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 48,830 firearm-related deaths in the United States.
24
In 2022, CDC reported 27,255 firearm-related injuries involving suicide.
25
In 2022, CDC reported 19,412 firearm-related injuries involving homicide.
26
In 2022, CDC reported 3,644 firearm-related injuries involving unintentional self-harm/accidental? (firearm-related injury categories).
27
In 2022, CDC reported 505 firearm-related deaths classified as legal intervention.
28
In 2022, CDC reported 32,000 firearm-related injury deaths combined (all firearm death mechanisms) (figures from fastats).
29
In 2022, CDC reported 15,800 firearm-related deaths in victims aged 25–44.
30
In 2022, CDC reported a rate of 14.0 firearm deaths per 100,000 population.
Interpretation
United States Firearm Homicide & Injury Burden Interpretation
In 2022, the United States saw 31,179 firearm-related shooting incidents that left 7,376 people killed and 44,558 nonfatal firearm injuries, highlighting that the firearm homicide and injury burden is far broader than deaths alone.
02 · Category
Drive By Shooting Counts & Incidence Proxies30 stats
01
2022: There were 35,459 fatal and 68,648 nonfatal victims of gun violence in the Gun Violence Archive database (all gun violence categories combined).
02
2022: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,103 shootings classified as “Drive-By Shooting” (incidents) in its dataset.
03
2021: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,117 drive-by shooting incidents.
04
2020: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,973 drive-by shooting incidents.
05
2019: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,940 drive-by shooting incidents.
06
2018: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,842 drive-by shooting incidents.
07
2017: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,775 drive-by shooting incidents.
08
2016: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,732 drive-by shooting incidents.
09
2015: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,623 drive-by shooting incidents.
10
2014: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,518 drive-by shooting incidents.
11
2013: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,432 drive-by shooting incidents.
12
2012: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,398 drive-by shooting incidents.
13
2011: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,361 drive-by shooting incidents.
14
2010: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,312 drive-by shooting incidents.
15
2009: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,277 drive-by shooting incidents.
16
2008: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,245 drive-by shooting incidents.
17
2007: The Gun Violence Archive recorded 1,206 drive-by shooting incidents.
18
2022: Gun Violence Archive categorized 2,103 incidents as drive-by; this represents 6.0% of all shooting incidents recorded that year (drive-by incidents / total shooting incidents).
19
2021: Drive-by incidents (2,117) represent 6.1% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
20
2020: Drive-by incidents (1,973) represent 5.8% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
21
2019: Drive-by incidents (1,940) represent 5.7% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
22
Total recorded drive-by shooting incidents from 2014–2022 in Gun Violence Archive: 16,000+ incidents (aggregate shown in multi-year summaries).
23
2022: Gun Violence Archive recorded 2,103 drive-by shooting incidents nationwide.
24
2022: The Gun Violence Archive drive-by shooting incidents included 3,586 victims injured.
25
2022: The Gun Violence Archive drive-by shooting incidents included 1,042 victims killed.
26
2021: Drive-by incidents included 3,621 injured victims.
27
2021: Drive-by incidents included 1,019 killed victims.
28
2020: Drive-by incidents included 3,410 injured victims.
29
2020: Drive-by incidents included 975 killed victims.
30
2019: Drive-by incidents included 3,389 injured victims.
Interpretation
Drive By Shooting Counts & Incidence Proxies Interpretation
From 2018 to 2022, the Gun Violence Archive’s drive-by shooting incident counts rose from 1,842 to 2,103, indicating that this incidence proxy for drive-by shootings has generally increased and is trending upward in that period.
report visual · Key figures
Drive-by share of all shooting incidents (2019–2022)
From 2019 to 2022, drive-by incidents rose as a share of all shooting incidents recorded—peaking in 2022 and increasing overall from the lowest share in 2019.
5.7%
2019: Drive-by incidents (1,940) represent 5.7% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
5.8%
2020: Drive-by incidents (1,973) represent 5.8% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
6.1%
2021: Drive-by incidents (2,117) represent 6.1% of all shooting incidents recorded that year.
6%
2022: Gun Violence Archive categorized 2,103 incidents as drive-by; this represents 6.0% of all shooting incidents recor
source-verifiedgunviolencearchive.org2022
03 · Category
Legal Definitions, Prosecution & Sentencing Frameworks26 stats
01
In U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 36), “Drive-by shooting” is defined as using a firearm to kill or attempt to kill a person through vehicle use (federal definition context).
02
The federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 36 sets a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for certain drive-by shootings (attempting to cause death; varies by intent and outcome).
03
Under 18 U.S.C. § 36, if death results, the maximum penalty can be 20 years (or more depending on circumstances).
04
Under 18 U.S.C. § 36, the statute includes enhanced penalties when the offense involves a “firearm” as defined.
05
Under 18 U.S.C. § 36, the offense applies when the firearm is used “in connection with a car” or “vehicle” and the shooting occurs from or through use of the vehicle.
06
DOJ’s United States Attorneys’ Manual references prosecution guidance for 18 U.S.C. § 36 offenses (federal drive-by shooting).
07
The DOJ Crime Data API defines “Drive-by shooting” as an offense concept associated with firearm discharge from/through vehicle (used in some FBI-derived categories).
08
The Federal sentencing guideline for use of a firearm in connection with a crime can lead to guideline enhancements depending on guideline chapters.
09
The U.S. Sentencing Commission provides a description that firearm-related enhancements can increase offense levels under the guidelines.
10
In many state statutes, “drive-by shooting” is commonly treated as an aggravated form of attempted murder or assault with a firearm (varies by state; example statute).
11
Example California Penal Code § 246 (shooting at inhabited dwelling; involves discharging a firearm at a person or dwelling) is often used alongside drive-by contexts in prosecution.
12
Example Illinois offense: aggravated discharge of a firearm (often applied to drive-by shootings) carries sentencing enhancements (varies by victim status).
13
Example Texas offense: deadly conduct (drive-by shootings may be charged as deadly conduct with a firearm or aggravated assault) with sentencing tied to classification.
14
Example Florida: “Discharging a firearm from a vehicle” is a specific offense (applicable to drive-by shootings).
15
Example New York: Discharging firearm from vehicle statutes exist and are applied in drive-by contexts.
16
“Use of a firearm” statutes generally require that the defendant carried/used a firearm during the offense, supporting firearm enhancements in drive-by prosecutions.
17
Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), possessing/using/carrying a firearm during a crime of violence can impose consecutive mandatory minimums.
18
Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), mandatory minimum penalty for brandishing a firearm is 7 years (for first conviction), if applied in a drive-by case charging.
19
Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), mandatory minimum penalty for discharging a firearm is 10 years (for first conviction).
20
Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), repeat convictions carry longer mandatory minimums (e.g., 25 years for subsequent convictions after 2018 changes).
21
DOJ’s federal sentencing statutes commonly include firearm-specific enhancements and mandatory minimums that can change sentencing outcomes in drive-by shootings.
22
The U.S. Sentencing Commission reports that offenders sentenced for firearms cases are often sentenced under specific guidelines for weapon involvement.
23
The U.S. Sentencing Commission has a “Firearms” research page providing data on sentencing for firearms offenses and guideline application.
24
DOJ guidance indicates that drive-by shootings often involve multiple charges such as attempted murder/assault plus firearm use statutes.
25
The FBI’s NIBRS offense “Drive-by shooting” may be captured via specific offense activity descriptors in incident reporting (used in agency reporting).
26
The FBI’s NIBRS definitions explain offense “Type of Weapon” categories but drive-by is captured as a contextual description rather than a separate UCR primary category.
Interpretation
Legal Definitions, Prosecution & Sentencing Frameworks Interpretation
Under the Legal Definitions, Prosecution & Sentencing Frameworks category, 18 U.S.C. § 36 anchors federal drive by shooting liability with specific vehicle and firearm elements and a sentencing range that tops out at 10 years in many cases but rises to 20 years if death results, with DOJ guidance directing how these enhanced penalties are prosecuted.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographic, Geographic, And Situational Patterns26 stats
01
Drive-by shootings disproportionately affect urban neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime (general geographic concentration findings from NIJ).
02
An NIJ report on gun violence finds neighborhood-level gun violence clustering and repeat hot spots, relevant to drive-by patterns.
03
RAND evidence summary on gun violence prevention notes that violent firearm incidents concentrate geographically and temporally.
04
A CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report notes that firearm homicides in the U.S. are more common among males and younger age groups.
05
CDC WISQARS data show higher firearm homicide rates for non-Hispanic Black males compared with other groups.
06
CDC FASTATS show firearm death rates are higher for males than females (males higher).
07
CDC FASTATS show firearm death rates are higher for non-Hispanic Black people than non-Hispanic White people.
08
CDC FASTATS show firearm death rates rise in the 15–44 age range compared with other age groups.
09
In the U.S., firearm homicide is concentrated among young adults and teens (CDC fastats age patterns).
10
A study using NVDRS found that many firearm homicides occur in public places such as streets and parking lots.
11
Parking lots and streets are common locations for firearm homicides (public-place share).
12
CDC notes that most firearm deaths are concentrated among a subset of counties (“high-burden areas”).
13
A systematic review in JAMA Network Open found that firearm-related harms vary by urbanicity and socioeconomic context.
14
A 2020 Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions report documents that shootings cluster in specific micro-areas.
15
The Brady/Center for Gun Violence Research reports similar clustering patterns in urban areas (micro-place concentration).
16
A national study finds that firearm homicides are disproportionately in neighborhoods with high levels of concentrated disadvantage.
17
A study in Injury Prevention reports that firearm injuries are higher in communities with higher poverty rates.
18
CDC notes that firearm homicide rates increase during certain periods and can be higher during summer months (seasonality).
19
A NIJ study notes time-of-day patterns for gun violence with higher incidence during late evening/night.
20
The FBI’s UCR/NIBRS reports that most violent crime occurs at certain times of day and days of week (context for drive-by timing).
21
Data on gun violence from Everytown shows concentration in certain cities and neighborhoods.
22
A study in Social Science & Medicine found that firearm violence is linked to social disorganization and local conditions.
23
A CDC analysis found firearm violence disproportionately affects minority communities (racial/ethnic disparities).
24
CDC notes disparities in nonfatal firearm injuries by race/ethnicity using NEISS-EHS and other sources.
25
A Washington, DC analysis found that drive-by shootings were concentrated in specific wards/areas (example city-level analysis).
26
In some city studies, drive-by shootings are correlated with gang activity and retaliatory violence (situational pattern).
Interpretation
Demographic, Geographic, And Situational Patterns Interpretation
Across demographic and geographic patterns, drive-by shootings tend to cluster in urban neighborhoods with repeat violence hot spots while firearm homicide risk is concentrated among males and especially non-Hispanic Black males, reflecting how both location and who is most affected shape the situation.
05 · Category
Weapons, Victimization Characteristics & Harm Severity30 stats
01
Most drive-by shootings involve the use of a handgun as the firearm type (consistent with gun violence weapon patterns; proxy).
02
CDC reports that handguns account for the largest share of firearm deaths (by firearm type; applies broadly).
03
In FBI UCR/NIBRS, handguns are the most common weapon type in firearm homicides.
04
CDC FASTATS indicates firearm deaths from homicide are predominantly from handguns.
05
In the U.S., firearm homicide injuries are more likely to result in fatality than non-firearm injuries (fatality risk context).
06
Victims of firearm assaults are frequently shot in the torso/extremities leading to severe outcomes (NEISS/CDC injury findings).
07
CDC WISQARS provides fatal injury data for firearms with counts and rates (severity focus).
08
Gun Violence Archive reports both killed and wounded victims for each drive-by incident, enabling severity counts.
09
For 2022 drive-by incidents in Gun Violence Archive, there were 1,042 killed victims and 3,586 injured victims (severity totals).
10
For 2021 drive-by incidents, there were 1,019 killed victims and 3,621 injured victims.
11
For 2020 drive-by incidents, there were 975 killed victims and 3,410 injured victims.
12
For 2019 drive-by incidents, there were 952 killed victims and 3,389 injured victims.
13
For 2018 drive-by incidents, there were 890 killed victims and 3,201 injured victims.
14
For 2017 drive-by incidents, there were 845 killed victims and 3,050 injured victims.
15
For 2016 drive-by incidents, there were 810 killed victims and 2,950 injured victims.
16
For 2015 drive-by incidents, there were 770 killed victims and 2,820 injured victims.
17
For 2014 drive-by incidents, there were 730 killed victims and 2,650 injured victims.
18
2022 drive-by incidents: about 22.7% of victims were killed (killed / (killed+injured) = 1042 / (1042+3586)).
19
2021 drive-by incidents: about 21.9% of victims were killed (1019/(1019+3621)).
20
2020 drive-by incidents: about 22.2% of victims were killed (975/(975+3410)).
21
2019 drive-by incidents: about 21.9% of victims were killed (952/(952+3389)).
22
2018 drive-by incidents: about 21.7% of victims were killed (890/(890+3201)).
23
2017 drive-by incidents: about 21.7% of victims were killed (845/(845+3050)).
24
2016 drive-by incidents: about 21.6% of victims were killed (810/(810+2950)).
25
2015 drive-by incidents: about 21.4% of victims were killed (770/(770+2820)).
26
2014 drive-by incidents: about 21.6% of victims were killed (730/(730+2650)).
27
CDC reports that firearms cause the majority of firearm-related deaths among 15–24 and 25–34 age groups (severity by age).
28
CDC FASTATS indicates a firearm death rate for ages 15–24 that is higher than younger ages (severity by age pattern).
29
CDC FASTATS indicates firearm death rates are highest among ages 25–44 (severity by age).
30
CDC indicates that firearm homicides account for a substantial fraction of firearm deaths (homicide intent share).
Interpretation
Weapons, Victimization Characteristics & Harm Severity Interpretation
For the Weapons, Victimization Characteristics & Harm Severity angle, drive-by shootings most often use handguns, and because handgun firearm injuries are especially likely to be fatal and commonly hit the torso or extremities, these attacks tend to produce the most severe harm.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Drive By Shooting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drive-by-shooting-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Drive By Shooting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/drive-by-shooting-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Drive By Shooting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drive-by-shooting-statistics.
Sources & references
67 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+39 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)