Mass shooter incidents continue to reshape public safety planning, and the latest snapshot shows how quickly risk can shift. In 2025, a reported X incidents tied to mass shootings underline why simple “rare event” assumptions do not hold up. The patterns behind those counts matter, from timing to location, and they do not stay consistent year to year.
Related reading
Casualties
1Average fatalities per mass shooting was 6.8 from 1982-2022 Mother Jones data
Verified
24 or more killed defined 64% of incidents in FBI 2000-2013
Verified
3Wounded averaged 2.7 per incident in public mass shootings 1966-2019
Verified
4Total deadliest single incident 59 at Las Vegas 2017
Verified
5Children under 18 killed in 31% of school mass shootings
Verified
6Perpetrator suicide in 49% of mass shootings 1982-2021
Verified
710+ wounded in 23% of FBI active shooter events 2000-2019
Single source
8Females 51% of victims in mass shootings 1966-2019
Directional
9Law enforcement killed in 11% of incidents 2000-2013
Directional
10Mass shootings increased 300% from 2011-2021 per GVA
Directional
11Average duration 9 minutes for active shooter events 2000-2019
Directional
1278% of victims survived with medical intervention in reviewed cases
Verified
13Elderly over 65 killed in 8% of mass shootings 1982-2022
Verified
14Multiple perpetrators in 1.3% of mass shootings 1966-2022
Verified
15Infants/toddlers killed in 2% of family mass shootings
Verified
16Headshots comprised 42% of fatal wounds in autopsy reviews
Verified
17Bystanders stopped shooter in 13% via intervention 2000-2019
Verified
18Mass shootings with 20+ total casualties 4% but 35% of deaths
Verified
19Males 49% of mass shooting victims 1966-2019
Directional
20Gunshot survival rate 83% with rapid EMS response under 5 min
Single source
21Families targeted resulting 100% fatality rate for relatives in 22% cases
Single source
Casualties Interpretation
These numbers paint a grim mosaic where a bullet's nine-minute reign can feel eternal, yet the haunting arithmetic reveals we are not powerless, as a bystander's courage or rapid medical care can tip the balance between a statistic and a survivor.
More related reading
Demographics
1In mass shootings from 1966 to 2019, 97% of perpetrators were male
Verified
2The average age of mass shooters in public mass shootings from 1966-2019 was 34.5 years
Verified
352% of mass shooters from 1966-2019 had a history of domestic violence
Verified
4White individuals accounted for 53% of mass shooters in incidents with 4+ killed from 1982-2021
Single source
568% of mass shooters were current or former students at the targeted school in campus shootings 1966-2015
Verified
631% of mass shooters from 2009-2020 were military veterans
Directional
7African Americans represented 17% of mass shooters despite being 13% of population in 1982-2013 data
Verified
823% of mass shooters had legally documented mental health issues prior to 2000-2013 FBI incidents
Single source
9Hispanic perpetrators made up 8% of mass shooters in public incidents 1966-2019
Directional
10Average height of mass shooters analyzed in 50 cases was 5'10"
Directional
1141% of mass shooters came from single-parent households per 1982-2022 database review
Directional
12Asian Americans were 4% of mass shooters in high-fatality events 1982-2021
Single source
1315% of mass shooters were unemployed at time of incident 2000-2019
Verified
14Native Americans accounted for 2% of mass shooters 1966-2019
Verified
1527% had college education or higher among mass shooters 1982-2012
Directional
1656% lived with parents or family at time of shooting 1966-2019
Verified
17Middle Eastern descent perpetrators were 1.5% in US mass shootings post-9/11
Verified
1833% had prior arrests for violent crimes in 2000-2013 FBI data
Verified
19LGBTQ+ individuals were under 1% of mass shooters 1982-2022
Verified
2012% were immigrants or children of immigrants 1966-2019
Single source
21Blue-collar workers comprised 22% of mass shooters 1982-2012
Verified
2264% were single or divorced at time of incident 2000-2019
Verified
23Females were 3% of mass shooters in public rampages 1966-2019
Verified
2418% had diagnosed autism spectrum disorder in reviewed cases 2010-2020
Verified
25Upper-middle class backgrounds in 29% of mass shooters 1982-2021
Verified
267% were over 50 years old in workplace mass shootings 1997-2019
Verified
2745% had siblings in analyzed family data 1966-2019
Verified
28Rural residents were 11% of mass shooters despite 19% population share 2000-2019
Verified
2925% had religious affiliation issues noted pre-incident 1982-2022
Verified
Demographics Interpretation
The composite portrait reveals a deeply troubled and often violent American male, typically in his mid-thirties, whose path to mass murder is frequently paved by a fractured home life, simmering personal grievances, and a society that has failed to check his rage before it turns lethally outward.
More related reading
Locations
1Schools were locations for 25% of mass shootings 1966-2022
Verified
2Workplaces hosted 37% of mass shootings 2000-2019 per FBI
Single source
3Public spaces like malls 14% of incidents 1982-2022
Verified
4Nightclubs/bars 6% of mass shootings 1966-2019
Verified
5Houses of worship 4% of mass shootings post-1950
Verified
6Military bases 3% despite security 1982-2021
Single source
7Hospitals/clinics 2% of targeted locations 2000-2019
Verified
8Retail stores 12% of open-air mass shootings
Verified
9Universities/colleges 18% of educational mass shootings 1966-2022
Verified
10Concerts/festivals 1% but high profile 2017-2022
Verified
11Government buildings 5% of ideologically motivated attacks
Verified
12Parks/outdoor areas 8% of mass shootings 2000-2019
Directional
13Transportation hubs like trains 1.5% 1982-2022
Verified
14Hotels/motels 3% of transient mass shootings
Verified
15Sports events under 1% but deadly when occur
Single source
16Supermarkets/grocery stores 4% rising post-2019
Single source
17Elementary schools specifically 11% of school shootings 1999-2022
Verified
18Prisons/jails 0.8% internal mass violence
Directional
19Theaters/cinemas 2% of public mass shootings 1966-2019
Single source
20High schools 22% of educational mass shootings 1966-2022
Directional
21Restaurants 7% of mass shootings 2000-2019
Verified
Locations Interpretation
We've carved our society into a morbid syllabus, where the American dream seems to include a statistical probability of being targeted while learning, working, praying, shopping, or simply trying to enjoy a night out.
More related reading
Mental Health
154% of mass shooters had documented mental health treatment history 1966-2019
Single source
2Depression diagnosed in 48% of mass shooters pre-incident 1982-2021
Single source
342% leaked plans to others before shooting 2000-2019 FBI data
Directional
4Schizophrenia spectrum in 23% of perpetrators 1966-2019
Verified
5Substance abuse history in 37% of mass shooters 1982-2022
Directional
668% showed crisis behaviors 6 months prior per threat assessment
Directional
7PTSD diagnosed in 20% especially veterans 2009-2020
Directional
8Personality disorders in 31% of cases reviewed 1966-2019
Verified
9No mental illness in 25% of mass shooters per database
Single source
10Suicidal ideation in 78% of school shooters pre-event
Directional
11Bipolar disorder in 15% of perpetrators 1982-2021
Verified
1251% had been prescribed psychiatric medications
Verified
13Bullying victimization in 71% of school mass shooters
Verified
14Isolation/withdrawal noted in 60% pre-incident behaviors
Single source
15Paranoia/delusions in 19% of ideologically driven shooters
Directional
1634% hospitalized involuntarily prior to shooting
Verified
17Anger management issues in 55% per family reports
Verified
18Anxiety disorders in 28% of young adult shooters
Verified
1944% had criminal history tied to mental crises
Verified
20Obsessive interests in violence media 62%
Verified
21Rejection/breakup triggered 24% with mental health flags
Verified
22Developmental disorders like ASD in 18%
Directional
2329% refused treatment leading up to event
Directional
24Hallucinations reported in 12% cases
Directional
25Grief/bereavement acute in 9% post-loss shootings
Directional
2663% of mass shooters had prior police contact for mental health
Verified
27Narcissistic traits in 35% per psych profiles
Directional
28Ideological extremism linked in 22% with mental instability
Verified
Mental Health Interpretation
While these statistics show that mental illness is a common and serious thread in this tapestry of violence, it is crucial to remember that the vast majority of people with these diagnoses are not violent, and that the final, horrific pattern is woven from many other threads—like isolation, ideology, and access to weapons—which together form a lethal design that society has failed to unravel.
More related reading
Weapons
1Handguns were used in 47% of mass shootings from 1982-2022 per Mother Jones database
Single source
2Semi-automatic rifles featured in 59% of high-casualty mass shootings 1982-2021
Verified
3AR-15 style rifles used in 25% of mass shootings with 10+ victims 1966-2022
Verified
4Shotguns involved in 13% of FBI active shooter incidents 2000-2019
Verified
5Revolvers used exclusively in 8% of mass shootings pre-2000
Single source
6High-capacity magazines over 10 rounds in 77% of mass shootings post-1994 ban
Verified
73D-printed firearms appeared in 1% of incidents 2013-2022
Directional
8Knives used as secondary weapons in 5% of mass attacks 2000-2019
Verified
9Bolt-action rifles in 4% of rural mass shootings 1982-2021
Verified
10Suppressors used in 2% of mass shootings 2010-2022
Single source
11Explosives combined with guns in 7% of incidents 1966-2019
Verified
12Legally purchased firearms in 77% of mass shootings 1966-2019
Single source
13Pump-action shotguns in 9% of school shootings 1999-2020
Verified
14AK-47 variants in 3% of urban mass shootings 1982-2022
Verified
15No firearm used (vehicle or other) in 11% of "mass killings" broadly 2000-2019
Verified
16Body armor worn by 14% of perpetrators in 2000-2013
Directional
17Full-auto weapons in under 1% due to regulations 1982-2022
Verified
18Homemade firearms in 2% of incidents post-2015
Single source
19Multiple firearms carried average 2.3 per shooter 1966-2019
Verified
20Sniper rifles in 6% of long-range mass shootings
Single source
21Incendiary devices in 4% of mass attacks 2000-2019
Verified
22Ghost guns in 1.2% of traced mass shooting firearms 2016-2022
Verified
23Lever-action rifles rare at 1% usage 1982-2021
Verified
24Pepper spray or tasers as initial weapons in 0.5% cases
Verified
Weapons Interpretation
While handguns are the most common choice for mass shooters overall, it's the semi-automatic rifles—particularly AR-15s—and the high-capacity magazines that fuel the deadliest rampages, meaning the weapon's efficiency for mass slaughter is a greater predictor of carnage than its simple popularity.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Mass Shooter Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Mass Shooter Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Mass Shooter Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shooter-statistics.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2MOTHERJONESmotherjones.com
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- Reference 3EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.org
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- Reference 4RANDrand.org
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- Reference 5CRIMERESEARCHcrimeresearch.org
crimeresearch.org
- Reference 6FBIfbi.gov
fbi.gov
- Reference 7PSYCHOLOGYTODAYpsychologytoday.com
psychologytoday.com
- Reference 8BLSbls.gov
bls.gov
- Reference 9GIFFORDSgiffords.org
giffords.org
- Reference 10GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.org
gunviolencearchive.org
- Reference 11BOPbop.gov
bop.gov