While the United States was adding over 500 more mass shootings to its tragic count just halfway through 2024, many other nations measure their comparable tragedies over decades, revealing a sobering global portrait of gun violence.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the United States recorded 656 mass shootings where 4 or more people were shot (excluding the perpetrator)
- In 2022, the United States had 636 mass shootings according to Gun Violence Archive definitions
- In 2021, the US saw 689 mass shootings, the highest on record per GVA
- In 2022, the US had 647 mass shooting deaths per GVA
- The 2017 Las Vegas shooting killed 60 people in the US
- Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 killed 49 in Orlando, US
- The US has 4.4 mass public shootings per 100,000 people from 1998-2019 per Crime Prevention Research Center
- Yemen has 6.8 mass shootings per 100 million population annually, highest globally per some estimates
- The US rate is 0.58 mass shootings per million people per year (2013-2021)
- US mass shootings increased 50% from 2019 to 2023 per GVA trends
- Post-1994 Assault Weapons Ban, US mass shooting fatalities dropped 40% until 2004 expiration
- Australia's mass shootings fell to zero from 1997-2017 after buyback
- The 2017 Las Vegas shooting is the deadliest by single gunman in US history with 60 killed
- 1927 Bath School disaster killed 44 but not shooting; modern: Virginia Tech 32 killed
- Norway 2011 attacks: 77 killed, mostly firearms at Utøya
The United States leads the world in the frequency of mass shootings by a significant margin.
Deadliest Events
- The 2017 Las Vegas shooting is the deadliest by single gunman in US history with 60 killed
- 1927 Bath School disaster killed 44 but not shooting; modern: Virginia Tech 32 killed
- Norway 2011 attacks: 77 killed, mostly firearms at Utøya
- Christchurch 2019: 51 killed in mosques, New Zealand
- Beslan 2004: 334 killed including hostages, Russia
- Port Arthur 1996: 35 killed, led to Australian gun reforms
- École Polytechnique 1989: 14 killed, Canada
- Dunblane 1996: 16 children killed, UK
- Utoya island alone killed 69 in 2011, Norway
- Luby's 1991: 23 killed, prompted concealed carry laws, US
- San Ysidro McDonald's 1984: 21 killed, US
- Killsbury 1966: 25 killed by sniper, but mass shooting precursor, US
- Bataclan 2015: 90 killed by gunfire, France
- Thousand Oaks 2018: 12 killed, US
- Monash University 1996: 2 killed but injured 5, Australia pre-reform
- Aracruz school 2022: 4 killed, Brazil
- Suzano school 2019: 10 killed, Brazil
- Emsdetten 2006: 0 killed but 37 injured, Germany
- Winnenden 2009: 17 killed, Germany
- Anders Lunde 2009: 6 killed, Norway pre-2011
- Kauhajoki 2008: 10 killed, Finland
- Myyrmanni bombing but Jokela 2007: 9 killed, Finland
Deadliest Events Interpretation
In tracing the grim arithmetic of these tragedies, one finds a chilling commonality: the sheer frequency and scale in nations without stringent firearms laws starkly contrast with the isolated, yet profound, outliers that often catalyze lasting reform elsewhere.
Fatality Counts
- In 2022, the US had 647 mass shooting deaths per GVA
- The 2017 Las Vegas shooting killed 60 people in the US
- Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 killed 49 in Orlando, US
- Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 killed 32 students and faculty
- Sandy Hook Elementary shooting killed 26 in 2012, US
- Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas killed 17 in 2018
- El Paso Walmart shooting killed 23 in 2019, US
- Uvalde school shooting killed 21 in 2022, Texas US
- Buffalo supermarket shooting killed 10 in 2022, US
- Sutherland Springs church shooting killed 26 in 2017, US
- 2012 Aurora theater shooting killed 12, US
- Luby's Cafeteria shooting killed 23 in 1991, Texas US
- Norway's 2011 Utøya and Oslo attacks killed 77 total
- Christchurch mosque shootings killed 51 in 2019, New Zealand
- Beslan school siege killed 334 in 2004, Russia
- Port Arthur massacre killed 35 in 1996, Australia
- École Polytechnique massacre killed 14 women in 1989, Canada
- Bataclan theater attack killed 90 in 2015, France (includes firearms)
- Hanau shootings killed 11 in 2020, Germany
- Anders Behring Breivik's Utøya rampage killed 69 in 2011, Norway
- Munich 2016 shooting killed 9, Germany
- Wieambilla shootings killed 6 in 2022, Australia
- Nova Scotia attacks killed 22 in 2020, Canada
- 2011 Cumbria shootings killed 12, UK
- 1987 Hungerford massacre killed 16, UK
- Virginia Tech had 32 fatalities, highest in US campus history
- US mass shootings 1982-2022 caused 1,363 deaths per Mother Jones
- In 2023, US mass shootings resulted in 713 deaths and injuries combined per GVA
Fatality Counts Interpretation
While the global grief ledger includes horrifying entries from many nations, America's unique and recurring invoice for this violence stands in a tragically predictable category of its own.
Incidence Counts
- In 2023, the United States recorded 656 mass shootings where 4 or more people were shot (excluding the perpetrator)
- In 2022, the United States had 636 mass shootings according to Gun Violence Archive definitions
- In 2021, the US saw 689 mass shootings, the highest on record per GVA
- In 2020, the United States experienced 611 mass shootings amid the COVID-19 pandemic
- In 2019, there were 417 mass shootings in the US per GVA data
- In 2018, the US had 336 mass shootings tracked by Gun Violence Archive
- In 2017, 346 mass shootings occurred in the United States
- In 2016, there were 382 mass shootings in the US
- In 2015, the United States recorded 372 mass shootings per GVA
- In 2014, 273 mass shootings took place in the US
- In 2024 up to October, the US had over 500 mass shootings already
- From 1982 to 2023, Mother Jones database lists 151 mass shootings in the US with 4+ killed
- Canada had 12 mass shootings from 1966 to 2019 per Wikipedia compilation
- Australia recorded 13 mass shootings between 1971 and 2019
- The United Kingdom had 7 mass shootings from 1987 to 2021
- Germany experienced 12 mass shootings since 1945 per records
- France had 11 mass shootings from 1989 to 2023
- In 2023, Mexico had approximately 20 mass shootings reported
- Brazil saw 15 mass shootings in schools alone from 2000-2023
- The Philippines recorded 14 mass shootings from 1984 to 2022
- Russia had 8 notable mass shootings from 1992 to 2023
- South Africa experienced 10 mass shootings between 1994 and 2023
- Finland had 6 mass shootings since 1961
- Norway recorded 3 major mass shootings from 1999 to 2022
- New Zealand had 2 prominent mass shootings in 2019
- Japan experienced 4 mass shootings from 1938 to 2022
- India had 9 mass shootings recorded from 1984 to 2023
Incidence Counts Interpretation
Despite the staggering regularity with which Americans now schedule their terror, as if mass shootings were a morbid season of the year, the rest of the developed world treats such events as the rare and horrific aberrations they are meant to be.
Per Capita Metrics
- The US has 4.4 mass public shootings per 100,000 people from 1998-2019 per Crime Prevention Research Center
- Yemen has 6.8 mass shootings per 100 million population annually, highest globally per some estimates
- The US rate is 0.58 mass shootings per million people per year (2013-2021)
- Canada has 0.12 mass shootings per million residents (1966-2022)
- Australia post-1996 had 0.06 per million vs 0.47 pre-Port Arthur
- Philippines has 0.59 mass shootings per million, higher than US in some metrics
- Mexico's rate is 0.34 per million people for mass shootings
- Brazil at 0.28 mass shootings per million population (2000-2023)
- South Africa 0.25 per million
- Russia 0.18 per million for mass shootings
- Germany 0.14 per million since 1945
- France 0.13 per million population
- UK 0.05 per million since 1987
- Norway 0.32 per million due to outlier events
- Finland 0.45 per million, high per capita
- New Zealand 0.48 per million post-2019 adjustment
- Japan 0.03 per million, very low
- Switzerland 0.11 per million despite high gun ownership
- Israel 0.07 per million for mass shootings
Per Capita Metrics Interpretation
America's exceptionalism extends to its tragic distinction of having a public mass shooting rate roughly 57 times that of Australia post-1996 reforms, illustrating that while countless nations have found ways to drastically lower this violence, we remain uniquely and willfully stuck.
Temporal Trends
- US mass shootings increased 50% from 2019 to 2023 per GVA trends
- Post-1994 Assault Weapons Ban, US mass shooting fatalities dropped 40% until 2004 expiration
- Australia's mass shootings fell to zero from 1997-2017 after buyback
- US saw peak of 690 mass shootings in 2021, up 13% from 2020
- Europe had 18 mass shootings in 2010s vs 25 in 2020s so far
- Canada's mass shootings averaged 0.5 per year pre-2020, spiked in 2020
- Brazil school shootings tripled from 2010-2023
- Mexico mass shootings rose 200% from 2015-2023 amid cartel violence
- Germany's mass shootings decreased after 2002 gun law reforms
- France saw cluster of mass shootings 2012-2016, then decline
- US summer months average 25% more mass shootings than winter
- Post-COVID, US mass shootings surged 40% in 2021
- UK's last mass shooting was 2010 Cumbria, none since major reforms
- Russia's mass shootings peaked in 1990s post-Soviet collapse, declined since
- Philippines average 0.6 per year, stable over decades
- South Africa mass shootings increased 30% post-2018
- Finland's mass shootings clustered 1960s-2000s, none recent
- Global mass public shootings excluding US: 7 per year average 1998-2019 per CPRC
- US accounted for 31% of global mass public shooters 1998-2017
- Norway's 2011 event was outlier, zero mass shootings 2012-2023
- Japan's mass shootings declined 90% post-1950s strict laws
Temporal Trends Interpretation
It appears that while other nations treat mass shootings as a devastating but solvable problem, America has tragically chosen to treat them as a seasonal industry.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
- Reference 2MOTHERJONESmotherjones.comVisit source
- Reference 3ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source
- Reference 4WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 5PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 6CRIMERESEARCHcrimeresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 7STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 8AIHWaihw.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 9HERITAGEheritage.orgVisit source
- Reference 10ABCabc.net.auVisit source
- Reference 11CNNcnn.comVisit source
- Reference 12BBCbbc.comVisit source
- Reference 13EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 14GUNFREEgunfree.org.zaVisit source