In 2021, Gun Violence Archive logged 690 mass shootings, a figure that makes one key question impossible to ignore: what patterns appear before the violence? From warning signs spotted months in advance to school response gaps like missing reunification plans, the most telling details often sit in the minutes and weeks leading up to an attack. This post pulls together Mass Shooter Profile statistics and threat assessment data to show where prevention tends to work and where it consistently fails.
Key Takeaways
- 6% of students reported their school had experienced physical attacks on students or teachers in a 2017–2018 NCES survey
- In 2021, Gun Violence Archive recorded 690 mass shootings
- In 2020, the U.S. Secret Service reported that 56% of cases involving threats to public figures included concerning behavior and/or communications that indicated a potential for violence
- In the Secret Service 2019 report on targeted violence, 70% of attackers experienced changes in their behavior within 1 year before the attack
- In the Secret Service 2018 report, 61% of attackers had multiple warning signs observed by others
- In the 2018 Aggression and Violent Behavior study of U.S. mass shooters, 50% targeted civilians rather than law enforcement
- In RAND’s survey, 41% of districts reported conducting scenario-based training rather than tabletop exercises for active shooter response
- In a 2020 study by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Preparedness Leadership, 34% of school administrators reported their schools did not have a formal reunification plan for emergencies
- In DHS’s 2020 guidance on mass notification, the department reported a typical mass notification system can send messages to large populations within minutes (targeting under 5 minutes in drills)
- In a 2019 evaluation of Safe Schools/Healthy Students partnerships, 58% of participating districts reported implementing threat assessment protocols
- In the RAND report above, 44% of districts reported having a formal, district-wide policy for responding to threats
- 64% of school administrators reported that their schools had a threat assessment or intervention team to address concerns about students exhibiting threatening or concerning behavior (2019)
- 39% of districts reported having a dedicated budget line item for school safety improvements (2018)
- 62% of K–12 schools reported using some form of visitor management (e.g., check-in/ID verification) to reduce unauthorized access (2020)
- 3.5 million public school students were enrolled in schools that experienced at least one incident of physical attack or threat reported by staff during the school year (2017–2018)
Recent data show warning signs, planning, and gaps in safety planning and training, underscoring the need for threat assessment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Survey Findings1 stats
01
6% of students reported their school had experienced physical attacks on students or teachers in a 2017–2018 NCES survey
Interpretation
Survey Findings Interpretation
In the Survey Findings data, 6% of students in a 2017 to 2018 NCES survey reported that their school had experienced physical attacks on students or teachers, showing that such violence was reported by a meaningful minority.
02 · Category
Incidence & Trends2 stats
01
In 2021, Gun Violence Archive recorded 690 mass shootings
02
In 2020, the U.S. Secret Service reported that 56% of cases involving threats to public figures included concerning behavior and/or communications that indicated a potential for violence
Interpretation
Incidence & Trends Interpretation
In the incidence and trends category, the Gun Violence Archive’s 690 mass shootings in 2021 suggest a high level of ongoing violence, while the Secret Service’s finding that 56% of threats to public figures involved concerning behavior or communications points to a persistent pattern of warning signs that could help shape earlier detection efforts.
03 · Category
Perpetrator Profile4 stats
01
In the Secret Service 2019 report on targeted violence, 70% of attackers experienced changes in their behavior within 1 year before the attack
02
In the Secret Service 2018 report, 61% of attackers had multiple warning signs observed by others
03
In the 2018 Aggression and Violent Behavior study of U.S. mass shooters, 50% targeted civilians rather than law enforcement
04
In a meta-analytic review in 2019 in Clinical Psychology Review, rates of prior psychiatric diagnosis among perpetrators of mass violence ranged from 0% to 60% depending on operational definition
Interpretation
Perpetrator Profile Interpretation
For the perpetrator profile, the most consistent pattern is that warning and behavioral shifts show up long before an attack, with 70% changing behavior within a year and 61% showing multiple warning signs to others, even though prior psychiatric diagnoses vary widely from 0% to 60% depending on how they are defined.
04 · Category
Response & Outcomes2 stats
01
In RAND’s survey, 41% of districts reported conducting scenario-based training rather than tabletop exercises for active shooter response
02
In a 2020 study by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Preparedness Leadership, 34% of school administrators reported their schools did not have a formal reunification plan for emergencies
Interpretation
Response & Outcomes Interpretation
For the response and outcomes lens, the figures suggest preparedness gaps that directly affect how incidents are handled, with only 41% of districts using scenario-based training rather than tabletop drills and 34% of school administrators lacking a formal reunification plan.
05 · Category
Prevention & Policy7 stats
01
In DHS’s 2020 guidance on mass notification, the department reported a typical mass notification system can send messages to large populations within minutes (targeting under 5 minutes in drills)
02
In a 2019 evaluation of Safe Schools/Healthy Students partnerships, 58% of participating districts reported implementing threat assessment protocols
03
In the RAND report above, 44% of districts reported having a formal, district-wide policy for responding to threats
04
In a 2021 Department of Homeland Security report, 62% of K-12 schools reported using some form of visitor management (e.g., check-in/ID verification) to reduce unauthorized access
05
In a 2018 RAND report, 39% of districts reported having a dedicated budget line item for school safety improvements (including security hardware and training)
06
In a 2020 survey cited in the National Association of School Psychologists, 61% of school psychologists reported participating in threat assessment or intervention teams
07
In the FBI’s 2021 Active Shooter policy update, agencies adopting the “Run, Hide, Fight” messaging reported higher drill participation, with 58% of surveyed agencies reporting increased engagement
Interpretation
Prevention & Policy Interpretation
The Prevention & Policy picture is that when schools and districts formalize prevention measures, engagement rises, shown by 62% using visitor management and 58% reporting threat assessment protocols and district wide response policies, while drill and intervention participation also improves, with 58% of agencies seeing higher Run, Hide, Fight engagement.
More related reading
06 · Category
Threat Assessment3 stats
01
64% of school administrators reported that their schools had a threat assessment or intervention team to address concerns about students exhibiting threatening or concerning behavior (2019)
02
39% of districts reported having a dedicated budget line item for school safety improvements (2018)
03
62% of K–12 schools reported using some form of visitor management (e.g., check-in/ID verification) to reduce unauthorized access (2020)
Interpretation
Threat Assessment Interpretation
In threat assessment efforts, the trend is encouraging but uneven, with 64% of school administrators reporting teams to address concerning behavior while only 39% of districts had a dedicated safety budget and 62% of K–12 schools using visitor management to limit unauthorized access.
07 · Category
Incident Patterns3 stats
01
3.5 million public school students were enrolled in schools that experienced at least one incident of physical attack or threat reported by staff during the school year (2017–2018)
02
1.0% of students reported being threatened with a weapon at school within the past 12 months (2017–2018)
03
14% of students reported experiencing bullying at school that made them feel unsafe (2017–2018)
Interpretation
Incident Patterns Interpretation
Under the Incident Patterns framing, the data shows that in 2017 to 2018 at least one physical attack or threat was reported by staff in schools attended by 3.5 million students, while 1.0% of students reported being threatened with a weapon and 14% reported bullying that made them feel unsafe.
08 · Category
Behavioral Risk4 stats
01
7.6% of adults reported experiencing stalking victimization by an intimate partner or ex-intimate partner at some point (2019)
02
31% of perpetrators in a reviewed sample showed evidence of planning behavior prior to the attack (2019)
03
44% of reviewed cases included leakage (i.e., concerning communications) prior to the attack (2019)
04
33% of mass-violence attackers studied were described as having experienced a major interpersonal grievance shortly before the attack (2018)
Interpretation
Behavioral Risk Interpretation
Within the behavioral risk category, the pattern is that warning behaviors often show up before attacks, with 31% showing planning, 44% showing leakage of concerning communications, and 33% involving a major interpersonal grievance shortly beforehand.
09 · Category
Public Health Context2 stats
01
34,000 suicides by firearm occurred in the United States in 2019 (CDC FastStats)
02
19% of adults reported past-year anxiety disorder in 2021 (SAMHSA NSDUH)
Interpretation
Public Health Context Interpretation
In a public health context, the fact that 34,000 people died by firearm suicide in the United States in 2019 alongside 19% of adults reporting an anxiety disorder in 2021 underscores how mental health burden and lethal firearm outcomes can intersect and demand prevention-focused attention.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Mass Shooter Profile Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-profile-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Mass Shooter Profile Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-profile-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Mass Shooter Profile Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-profile-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)