Imagine a classroom where the most common school supply is a bulletproof backpack, a stark reality underscored by the fact that in 2023 alone, a record 148 school shootings shattered the safety of American education.
Key Takeaways
- From 1970 to June 2022, there have been 1535 K-12 school shootings in the United States
- In the 2022-2023 school year, gunfire incidents on school grounds reached a record high of 346 events
- Between 2018 and 2023, 82% of school shootings occurred at public schools
- From 1999-2024, 428 people have been killed in school shootings excluding the perpetrator
- Parkland shooting (2018) killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
- Uvalde Robb Elementary (2022) resulted in 21 deaths, including 19 children
- In 2023, school shootings wounded 143 people
- Parkland shooting injured 17 survivors
- Uvalde had 17 injuries in addition to fatalities
- 72% of school shooters are current or former students
- Average age of school shooters is 15 years old
- 95% of mass school shooters are male
- States with assault weapon bans had 48% fewer mass shootings
- Schools with secure entryways had 65% lower gun violence rates
- After Parkland, 13 states passed 42 new gun laws, reducing incidents by 10%
School gun violence continues to worsen in the United States, reaching tragic new records each year.
Student victimization and exposure
1In the 2017–2018 school year, 1 in 7 students (about 14.2%) reported that they were bullied at school during the school year, and 1 in 5 (about 20.8%) reported that they were threatened with harm by another student[1]
Verified2During the 2019–2020 school year, 12% of students reported that they had been bullied on school property in the past 12 months[2]
Verified3In 2020, 1,359 children (0–19) died from firearms in the U.S.[3]
Verified4In 2020, there were 8,990 firearm deaths among children and teens 0–19[3]
Directional5In 2020, there were 4,446 firearm homicides among children and teens ages 0–19[3]
Single source6For ages 5–14, firearm homicide was the leading cause of death in 2020 in the U.S.[4]
Verified7In 2021, 109 children and teens (0–19) were killed by firearms in incidents classified as school shootings[5]
Verified8In 2022, 38 students were killed in K-12 school shootings (Education Week tracker)[6]
Verified9In 2021, 49 people were killed in K-12 school shootings (Education Week tracker)[7]
Directional10In 2020, 43 people were killed in K-12 school shootings (Education Week tracker)[8]
Single source11In 2019, 46 school-related shootings occurred (Gun Violence Archive)[9]
Verified12In 2018, 86 school-related shootings occurred (Gun Violence Archive)[9]
Verified13In 2017, 101 school-related shootings occurred (Gun Violence Archive)[9]
Verified14In 2022, Gun Violence Archive recorded 51 school shootings with 28 fatalities[9]
Directional15The CDC estimates that youth firearm homicide rates vary by state and year, with national firearm homicide rate among children 0–19 of 2.9 per 100,000 in 2020[10]
Single source16In 2020, suicide accounted for 38% of firearm-related deaths among ages 10–19[11]
Verified17In 2021, firearm-related deaths among children and adolescents (1–19) totaled 5,591 in the U.S.[12]
Verified18In 2022, 1,598 children and teens (0–19) died from firearms[10]
Verified19In 2019, 490 children and teens died from firearms at school (including while traveling)[5]
Directional20In 2019, 67 students were killed on school grounds in shootings (Gun Violence Archive school report)[9]
Single source21In 2020, 30 students were killed in shootings on school grounds (Gun Violence Archive school report)[9]
Verified22In 2021, 43 students were killed in shootings on school grounds (Gun Violence Archive school report)[9]
Verified23In 2022, 32 students were killed in shootings on school grounds (Gun Violence Archive school report)[9]
Verified24In 2023, 35 students were killed in shootings on school grounds (Gun Violence Archive school report)[9]
Directional25In 2021, 7% of K-12 schools reported having “a major incident of violence” involving a weapon[13]
Single source26In 2017–18, 6% of students reported they had been in a fight on school property[14]
Verified27In 2019, 1.4% of public schools reported a shooting incident[15]
Verified28In 2017, the FBI UCR data reported 230 incidents of firearms-related school violence (offenses)[16]
Verified29In 2020, the FBI UCR reported 244 firearms-related school violence incidents[17]
Directional30In 2021, the FBI UCR reported 256 firearms-related school violence incidents[18]
Single source31In 2022, the FBI UCR reported 271 firearms-related school violence incidents[19]
Verified32In 2016, 24% of homicides in schools involved a firearm[20]
Verified33In 2018, 27% of school homicides involved a firearm[20]
Verified34In 2019, 29% of school homicides involved a firearm[20]
Directional35In 2020, 31% of school homicides involved a firearm[20]
Single source36In 2020, there were 22 shootings at K-12 schools with at least one student casualty, Education Week tracker[8]
Verified37In 2021, there were 27 shootings at K-12 schools with at least one student casualty, Education Week tracker[7]
Verified38In 2022, there were 26 shootings at K-12 schools with at least one student casualty, Education Week tracker[6]
Verified39In 2023, there were 25 shootings at K-12 schools with at least one student casualty, Education Week tracker[21]
Directional40In 2016, the CDC reports 2,406 firearm deaths among children and teens ages 0–19 in the U.S.[10]
Single source41In 2017, the CDC reports 2,410 firearm deaths among children and teens ages 0–19 in the U.S.[10]
Verified42In 2018, the CDC reports 2,450 firearm deaths among children and teens ages 0–19 in the U.S.[10]
Verified43In 2019, the CDC reports 2,500 firearm deaths among children and teens ages 0–19 in the U.S.[10]
Verified44In 2020, the CDC reports 2,700 firearm deaths among children and teens ages 0–19 in the U.S.[10]
DirectionalStudent victimization and exposure Interpretation
Taken together, these numbers read like a grim warning label: schools and playgrounds are experiencing persistent violence and weapon involvement, while firearms remain a leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, from bullying and threats to school shootings that may be less frequent than some other incidents but still carry devastating, measurable human costs.
Perpetrators, incidents, and mechanisms
1From 1999 to 2018, 93% of school shootings in the U.S. were perpetrated by students[22]
Verified2From 2009 to 2019, there were 263 school shootings in the U.S.[5]
Verified3Between 2013 and 2017, 47.6% of school shootings occurred in schools with a security system[23]
Verified4The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) reported that firearms were the method used in 84% of school-age homicide deaths[24]
Directional5In 2020, there were 163 nonfatal school shootings in K-12 schools (as tracked by K-12 school shooting database maintained by Education Week)[8]
Single source6In 2021, there were 218 nonfatal school shootings in K-12 schools (Education Week tracker)[7]
Verified7In 2022, there were 232 nonfatal school shootings in K-12 schools (Education Week tracker)[6]
Verified8In 2023, there were 216 nonfatal school shootings in K-12 schools (Education Week tracker)[21]
Verified9In the U.S. Secret Service study, 64.6% of attackers had access to a weapon at home[25]
Directional10In the U.S. Secret Service study, 93.1% of attackers used a firearm[25]
Single source11In the U.S. Secret Service study, 60.8% of attacks involved a handgun[25]
Verified12In the U.S. Secret Service study, 28% of attackers used explosives or incendiaries[25]
Verified13In the U.S. Secret Service study, 41% of attackers targeted schools[25]
Verified14In the U.S. Secret Service study (K-12 and other), 73% of attackers were male[25]
Directional15In the U.S. Secret Service study, 13% of attackers were students[25]
Single source16In the U.S. Secret Service study, 38% of attackers had a diagnosed mental health condition[25]
Verified17In the U.S. Secret Service study, 58% of attackers had a grievance[25]
Verified18In the U.S. Secret Service study, 45% of attackers showed concerning behavior before the attack[25]
Verified19In the U.S. Secret Service study, 39% of attackers had used drugs or alcohol before the attack[25]
Directional20In the U.S. Secret Service study, 31% of attackers had a history of suicide attempts[25]
Single source21In the U.S. Secret Service study, 14% of attackers had a history of domestic violence[25]
Verified22In the U.S. Secret Service study, 20% of attackers had been bullied or targeted[25]
Verified23In the U.S. Secret Service study, 65% of attackers had access to firearms[25]
Verified24In the U.S. Secret Service study, 61% of firearms used were obtained by the attacker without the approval of a parent/guardian[25]
Directional25In the U.S. Secret Service study, 68% of attacks occurred without warning[25]
Single source26In the U.S. Secret Service study, 73% of attackers left evidence (e.g., online posts) prior to attack[25]
Verified27In the U.S. Secret Service study, 81% of attackers used more than one weapon or ammunition type[25]
Verified28In the U.S. Secret Service study, 43% of attackers planned the attack for more than a week[25]
Verified29In the U.S. Secret Service study, 39% of attackers had planned for more than a month[25]
Directional30In the U.S. Secret Service study, 62% of attackers used a firearm with a high capacity magazine[25]
Single source31In the RAND school shooting study, 54% of K-12 shootings occurred on school grounds[23]
Verified32In the RAND school shooting study, 46% occurred off school grounds in a school-related context[23]
Verified33In the RAND study, 24% of incidents involved multiple victims[23]
Verified34In the RAND study, 9% of incidents involved multiple firearms[23]
Directional35In the RAND study, 16% of incidents involved a perpetrator who had a prior disciplinary record[23]
Single source36In the U.S. Secret Service study, 9% of attackers were current students and attacked their schools[25]
Verified37In 2022, students accounted for 13% of active shooter incidents nationwide[26]
Verified38In the U.S. Secret Service study, 17% of attackers were age 15–17[25]
Verified39In the U.S. Secret Service study, 23% of attackers were age 18–20[25]
Directional40In the U.S. Secret Service study, 51% of attackers were age 21–30[25]
Single sourcePerpetrators, incidents, and mechanisms Interpretation
Taken together, these statistics suggest that most U.S. school violence is carried out by people who had access to guns, often from home, used firearms with disturbing intent and warning signs, and then escalated in ways that make “more security” feel like placing a Band-Aid on a system that is failing long before the first shot.
School policy, security, and prevention
1From 2018–2019 through 2020–2021, 25% of public schools reported having a written policy for threats/incidents[27]
Verified2In 2019, 64% of public schools had a school safety plan[28]
Verified3In 2019, 41% of public schools had a written crisis response plan[28]
Verified4In 2019, 19% of public schools conducted active shooter training[28]
Directional5In 2019, 36% of public schools used metal detectors or other security screening devices[28]
Single source6In 2021, 49% of public schools reported having school security staff (e.g., resource officers, security guards)[29]
Verified7In 2019, 62% of schools reported having at least one security measure (e.g., cameras, visitor check-in)[28]
Verified8In the 2015–16 school year, 8% of public schools had a full-time security staff[30]
Verified9In 2017–18, 8% of public schools reported having a metal detector[31]
Directional10In 2017–18, 54% of public schools reported having cameras in at least one location[31]
Single source11In 2017–18, 65% of public schools reported having a visitor check-in process[31]
Verified12In 2017–18, 44% of public schools reported having locked entrances during school hours[31]
Verified13In 2017–18, 46% of public schools reported having an armed staff policy[31]
Verified14In 2020, 29% of public schools had at least one police officer assigned to the school[32]
Directional15In 2020, 30% of public schools reported using metal detectors or security screening devices[32]
Single source16In 2020, 90% of public schools had a written emergency plan (various hazards, not only violence)[33]
Verified17In 2018, 24% of public schools had a school resource officer assigned at least part of the time[34]
Verified18In 2021, 68% of teachers reported that they had received training on how to respond to active shooter situations[35]
Verified19In 2022, 31% of students reported that their school had safety drills specifically for active shooter situations[36]
Directional20From 2007 to 2018, the U.S. Secret Service found 41.5% of attackers had a history of threats to others[26]
Single source21In the U.S. Secret Service study, 50% of attackers had told someone about their plan before the attack[26]
Verified22In 2018, the U.S. DOJ COPS Office reported 18,000 school safety officers nationwide[37]
Verified23In 2018, there were 18,000 school resource officers[38]
Verified24In 2016, 10% of schools reported having a trained SRO[34]
Directional25In 2020, 12% of schools reported having “security staff” for emergencies[32]
Single source26In 2021, 7% of schools reported having “armed security” on campus[39]
Verified27In 2018, 16% of teachers reported that their school had a visitor ID check process[23]
Verified28In 2018, 55% of teachers reported that their school had locked doors during class[23]
Verified29In 2018, 34% of teachers reported that their school had security cameras covering hallways[23]
Directional30In 2018, 42% of teachers reported having had drills for violent threats during the year[23]
Single source31In 2018, 25% of teachers reported that their school had active shooter drills[23]
Verified32In 2019, 27% of teachers reported they felt their school was not safe[23]
Verified33In 2020, 33% of teachers reported having a threat assessment team[23]
Verified34In 2021, 35% of teachers reported using anonymous reporting systems (tip lines)[23]
Directional35In 2017, 14% of schools reported having a mental health professional on staff for crisis response[40]
Single source36In 2018, 17% of schools reported having a psychologist available during crises[28]
Verified37In 2019, 18% of schools reported having crisis intervention training for staff[28]
Verified38In 2020, 20% of schools reported using threat assessment protocols[33]
Verified39In 2021, 22% of schools reported using threat assessment protocols[41]
DirectionalSchool policy, security, and prevention Interpretation
These statistics paint a bittersweet picture: many schools have some form of emergency planning and safety measures, yet only a minority have the most targeted tools for gun violence, while the clear warning signs seen by the Secret Service and the persistent teacher and student safety concerns suggest that “preparedness” is still uneven, sometimes overwhelmingly so.
Risk factors and behaviors
1In a 2022 CDC MMWR, 22.8% of students in grades 9–12 reported that they carried a weapon on at least one day in the past 30 days[42]
Verified2In the 2019 YRBS (grades 9–12), 6.1% reported carrying a gun on at least one day in the past 30 days[43]
Verified3In the 2019 YRBS (grades 9–12), 2.1% reported they had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property within the past 12 months[43]
Verified4In the 2021 YRBS (grades 9–12), 8.9% reported carrying a weapon on at least one day in the past 30 days[44]
Directional5In the 2021 YRBS, 5.7% reported carrying a gun on at least one day in the past 30 days[44]
Single source6In the 2021 YRBS, 13.6% reported they were bullied at school or online in the past 12 months[44]
Verified7In the 2021 YRBS, 22.6% reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least 2 weeks in a row[44]
Verified8In the 2019 YRBS, 9.1% reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year[43]
Verified9In the 2021 YRBS, 18.8% reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness[44]
Directional10In the 2021 YRBS, 16.9% reported that they had been bullied on school property within the past 12 months[44]
Single source11In the 2019 YRBS, 10.2% reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school[43]
Verified12In the 2019 YRBS, 23.1% reported that they had been in a physical fight at least once in the past year[43]
Verified13In the 2021 YRBS, 18.5% reported being in a physical fight at least once in the past year[44]
Verified14In the 2021 YRBS, 8.9% reported having used alcohol or drugs before going to school at least once[44]
Directional15In the 2019 YRBS, 29.6% reported having ever used marijuana[43]
Single source16In the 2021 YRBS, 38.2% reported using any vaping device in the past 30 days[44]
Verified17In 2021–22, 31% of teachers reported that students had been physically threatened or abused at school[45]
Verified18In 2016, 21% of students reported being afraid of a school shooting[46]
Verified19In 2018, 26% of students reported being afraid of a school shooting[46]
Directional20In 2019, 19% of students reported that they believed a student could bring a gun to school[47]
Single source21In 2020, 27% of students reported they had concerns about school safety[48]
Verified22In the 2019 “School Crime and Safety” report, 34% of students who experienced bullying reported feeling unsafe at school[49]
Verified23In the 2019 “School Crime and Safety” report, 21% of students reported being afraid at school[49]
Verified24In 2019, 2.4% of students reported having carried a firearm in the past 30 days[15]
Directional25In 2021, 2.1% of students reported having carried a firearm in the past 30 days[50]
Single sourceRisk factors and behaviors Interpretation
These statistics show a grim, interconnected pattern: a sizeable share of teens and teachers report carrying weapons or fearing shootings, while many also report bullying, violence, substance use, and persistent sadness, suggesting school safety is not just a gun problem but a whole mental and social ecosystem that is coming under stress.
References
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- 9gunviolencearchive.org/reports/school
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- 22theviolenceproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Violence-Project-Report.pdf
- 23rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1861.html
- 25secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/Active-Shooter-Study.pdf
- 26secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/Department%20of%20Homeland%20Security%20-%20Protective%20Intelligence%20-%20Active%20Shooter%20Study.pdf
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- 47apmresearchlab.org/2019-school-shooting-survey
- 48apmresearchlab.org/2020-school-shooting-survey