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
1The 2017 Las Vegas shooting is the deadliest by single gunman in US history with 60 killed
Verified21927 Bath School disaster killed 44 but not shooting; modern: Virginia Tech 32 killed
Verified3Norway 2011 attacks: 77 killed, mostly firearms at Utøya
Verified4Christchurch 2019: 51 killed in mosques, New Zealand
Directional5Beslan 2004: 334 killed including hostages, Russia
Single source6Port Arthur 1996: 35 killed, led to Australian gun reforms
Verified7École Polytechnique 1989: 14 killed, Canada
Verified8Dunblane 1996: 16 children killed, UK
Verified9Utoya island alone killed 69 in 2011, Norway
Directional10Luby's 1991: 23 killed, prompted concealed carry laws, US
Single source11San Ysidro McDonald's 1984: 21 killed, US
Verified12Killsbury 1966: 25 killed by sniper, but mass shooting precursor, US
Verified13Bataclan 2015: 90 killed by gunfire, France
Verified14Thousand Oaks 2018: 12 killed, US
Directional15Monash University 1996: 2 killed but injured 5, Australia pre-reform
Single source16Aracruz school 2022: 4 killed, Brazil
Verified17Suzano school 2019: 10 killed, Brazil
Verified18Emsdetten 2006: 0 killed but 37 injured, Germany
Verified19Winnenden 2009: 17 killed, Germany
Directional20Anders Lunde 2009: 6 killed, Norway pre-2011
Single source21Kauhajoki 2008: 10 killed, Finland
Verified22Myyrmanni bombing but Jokela 2007: 9 killed, Finland
VerifiedDeadliest 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
1In 2022, the US had 647 mass shooting deaths per GVA
Verified2The 2017 Las Vegas shooting killed 60 people in the US
Verified3Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 killed 49 in Orlando, US
Verified4Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 killed 32 students and faculty
Directional5Sandy Hook Elementary shooting killed 26 in 2012, US
Single source6Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas killed 17 in 2018
Verified7El Paso Walmart shooting killed 23 in 2019, US
Verified8Uvalde school shooting killed 21 in 2022, Texas US
Verified9Buffalo supermarket shooting killed 10 in 2022, US
Directional10Sutherland Springs church shooting killed 26 in 2017, US
Single source112012 Aurora theater shooting killed 12, US
Verified12Luby's Cafeteria shooting killed 23 in 1991, Texas US
Verified13Norway's 2011 Utøya and Oslo attacks killed 77 total
Verified14Christchurch mosque shootings killed 51 in 2019, New Zealand
Directional15Beslan school siege killed 334 in 2004, Russia
Single source16Port Arthur massacre killed 35 in 1996, Australia
Verified17École Polytechnique massacre killed 14 women in 1989, Canada
Verified18Bataclan theater attack killed 90 in 2015, France (includes firearms)
Verified19Hanau shootings killed 11 in 2020, Germany
Directional20Anders Behring Breivik's Utøya rampage killed 69 in 2011, Norway
Single source21Munich 2016 shooting killed 9, Germany
Verified22Wieambilla shootings killed 6 in 2022, Australia
Verified23Nova Scotia attacks killed 22 in 2020, Canada
Verified242011 Cumbria shootings killed 12, UK
Directional251987 Hungerford massacre killed 16, UK
Single source26Virginia Tech had 32 fatalities, highest in US campus history
Verified27US mass shootings 1982-2022 caused 1,363 deaths per Mother Jones
Verified28In 2023, US mass shootings resulted in 713 deaths and injuries combined per GVA
VerifiedFatality 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
1In 2023, the United States recorded 656 mass shootings where 4 or more people were shot (excluding the perpetrator)
Verified2In 2022, the United States had 636 mass shootings according to Gun Violence Archive definitions
Verified3In 2021, the US saw 689 mass shootings, the highest on record per GVA
Verified4In 2020, the United States experienced 611 mass shootings amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Directional5In 2019, there were 417 mass shootings in the US per GVA data
Single source6In 2018, the US had 336 mass shootings tracked by Gun Violence Archive
Verified7In 2017, 346 mass shootings occurred in the United States
Verified8In 2016, there were 382 mass shootings in the US
Verified9In 2015, the United States recorded 372 mass shootings per GVA
Directional10In 2014, 273 mass shootings took place in the US
Single source11In 2024 up to October, the US had over 500 mass shootings already
Verified12From 1982 to 2023, Mother Jones database lists 151 mass shootings in the US with 4+ killed
Verified13Canada had 12 mass shootings from 1966 to 2019 per Wikipedia compilation
Verified14Australia recorded 13 mass shootings between 1971 and 2019
Directional15The United Kingdom had 7 mass shootings from 1987 to 2021
Single source16Germany experienced 12 mass shootings since 1945 per records
Verified17France had 11 mass shootings from 1989 to 2023
Verified18In 2023, Mexico had approximately 20 mass shootings reported
Verified19Brazil saw 15 mass shootings in schools alone from 2000-2023
Directional20The Philippines recorded 14 mass shootings from 1984 to 2022
Single source21Russia had 8 notable mass shootings from 1992 to 2023
Verified22South Africa experienced 10 mass shootings between 1994 and 2023
Verified23Finland had 6 mass shootings since 1961
Verified24Norway recorded 3 major mass shootings from 1999 to 2022
Directional25New Zealand had 2 prominent mass shootings in 2019
Single source26Japan experienced 4 mass shootings from 1938 to 2022
Verified27India had 9 mass shootings recorded from 1984 to 2023
VerifiedIncidence 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
1The US has 4.4 mass public shootings per 100,000 people from 1998-2019 per Crime Prevention Research Center
Verified2Yemen has 6.8 mass shootings per 100 million population annually, highest globally per some estimates
Verified3The US rate is 0.58 mass shootings per million people per year (2013-2021)
Verified4Canada has 0.12 mass shootings per million residents (1966-2022)
Directional5Australia post-1996 had 0.06 per million vs 0.47 pre-Port Arthur
Single source6Philippines has 0.59 mass shootings per million, higher than US in some metrics
Verified7Mexico's rate is 0.34 per million people for mass shootings
Verified8Brazil at 0.28 mass shootings per million population (2000-2023)
Verified9South Africa 0.25 per million
Directional10Russia 0.18 per million for mass shootings
Single source11Germany 0.14 per million since 1945
Verified12France 0.13 per million population
Verified13UK 0.05 per million since 1987
Verified14Norway 0.32 per million due to outlier events
Directional15Finland 0.45 per million, high per capita
Single source16New Zealand 0.48 per million post-2019 adjustment
Verified17Japan 0.03 per million, very low
Verified18Switzerland 0.11 per million despite high gun ownership
Verified19Israel 0.07 per million for mass shootings
DirectionalPer 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
1US mass shootings increased 50% from 2019 to 2023 per GVA trends
Verified2Post-1994 Assault Weapons Ban, US mass shooting fatalities dropped 40% until 2004 expiration
Verified3Australia's mass shootings fell to zero from 1997-2017 after buyback
Verified4US saw peak of 690 mass shootings in 2021, up 13% from 2020
Directional5Europe had 18 mass shootings in 2010s vs 25 in 2020s so far
Single source6Canada's mass shootings averaged 0.5 per year pre-2020, spiked in 2020
Verified7Brazil school shootings tripled from 2010-2023
Verified8Mexico mass shootings rose 200% from 2015-2023 amid cartel violence
Verified9Germany's mass shootings decreased after 2002 gun law reforms
Directional10France saw cluster of mass shootings 2012-2016, then decline
Single source11US summer months average 25% more mass shootings than winter
Verified12Post-COVID, US mass shootings surged 40% in 2021
Verified13UK's last mass shooting was 2010 Cumbria, none since major reforms
Verified14Russia's mass shootings peaked in 1990s post-Soviet collapse, declined since
Directional15Philippines average 0.6 per year, stable over decades
Single source16South Africa mass shootings increased 30% post-2018
Verified17Finland's mass shootings clustered 1960s-2000s, none recent
Verified18Global mass public shootings excluding US: 7 per year average 1998-2019 per CPRC
Verified19US accounted for 31% of global mass public shooters 1998-2017
Directional20Norway's 2011 event was outlier, zero mass shootings 2012-2023
Single source21Japan's mass shootings declined 90% post-1950s strict laws
VerifiedTemporal 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