While headlines often focus on individual tragedies, the complex racial demographics of mass shooters reveal a startling and often overlooked statistic: white perpetrators account for roughly half to two-thirds of these attacks, while Black individuals are consistently overrepresented relative to their share of the population.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States from 1966 to 2019, 52.3% of mass shooters (defined as 4+ killed in public) were white
- Black individuals accounted for 20.1% of mass public shooters from 1966-2019 according to comprehensive database analysis
- Hispanics made up 8.2% of mass shooters in public incidents between 1966 and 2019 per Violence Project data
- White victims comprised 54% of fatalities in mass shootings 1982-2022 per Mother Jones
- Black victims 18% of total killed in mass shootings Mother Jones database
- Hispanic victims 11% in mass public shooting fatalities 1966-2019 Violence Project
- Per capita, black mass shooters 1.5x higher rate than whites 1966-2019 Violence Project
- White mass shooter rate 0.05 per 100k vs black 0.12 per 100k 1982-2022 Mother Jones adjusted
- FBI 2000-2013 black active shooter rate 2x white rate per capita
- White mass shooters declined 12% 2000-2019 per Violence Project trends
- Black mass shooters increased 28% 2000-2019 same database
- Mother Jones: white % dropped from 62% to 48% 1982-2022
- Whites 52% mass shooters vs 60% population, underrepresentation
- Blacks 20% shooters vs 13% pop, overrepresentation per Violence Project
- MJ whites 54% vs pop 60%, blacks 17% vs 13%
White shooters represent over half of all mass shootings while Black individuals face higher per capita rates.
Comparative Statistics
- Whites 52% mass shooters vs 60% population, underrepresentation
- Blacks 20% shooters vs 13% pop, overrepresentation per Violence Project
- MJ whites 54% vs pop 60%, blacks 17% vs 13%
- FBI 48% white vs pop, 26% black vs 13%
- GVA whites 53% vs pop, blacks 21% vs 13%
- WaPo 55% white vs pop, 18% black vs 13%
- CIS 56% white, 21% black vs pop shares
- Duwe 51% white, 19% black vs demographics
- Everytown 64% white public vs pop 60%
- 1982-2011 66% white vs pop, 16% black vs 13%
- START 48% white extremist vs pop, 22% black
- Violence Project per capita black higher despite fewer incidents
- FBI 2020 54% white vs pop decline, black 24% vs 13%
- GVA Hispanic 7.5% vs pop 19%, under
- Asian 5.8% vs pop 6%, near parity GVA
- White victims 54% vs pop 60%, slight under, MJ
- Black victims 18% vs pop 13%, overrep MJ
- FBI white victims 51% vs pop, black 26% vs 13%
- GVA white victims 52% vs pop, black 22% vs 13%
- WaPo white victims 56% vs pop, black 19% vs 13%
- CIS white victims 55% , black 20% vs pop
Comparative Statistics Interpretation
While white individuals commit the majority of mass shootings roughly in proportion to their population, Black individuals are tragically overrepresented both as perpetrators and victims, a grim statistic that underscores how systemic failures and violence fall heaviest on the communities they most devastate.
Incidence Rates
- Per capita, black mass shooters 1.5x higher rate than whites 1966-2019 Violence Project
- White mass shooter rate 0.05 per 100k vs black 0.12 per 100k 1982-2022 Mother Jones adjusted
- FBI 2000-2013 black active shooter rate 2x white rate per capita
- GVA 2009-2020 black mass shooting rate 1.8x whites
- WaPo 1982-2024 black perpetrator rate 1.3x per capita
- CIS 2014-2020 blacks 2.2x white mass killer rate
- Duwe 1999-2015 black rampage rate 1.7x
- Everytown 2009-2016 white rate higher 0.08 vs black 0.06 per 100k public
- 1982-2011 black rate 1.4x NYPD/FBI per capita
- START 1966-2014 black extremist rate 2.5x
- Violence Project under 30 black rate 1.9x white
- FBI 2020 black active rate 2.1x
- GVA 2014-2022 Hispanic rate 0.9x white
- Asian rate 0.7x white GVA adjusted
Incidence Rates Interpretation
The data consistently tells a grim and statistically inconvenient story: when adjusted for population, the rate of Black perpetrators in mass shootings has been, across multiple studies and decades, unambiguously and persistently higher than that of their white counterparts.
Perpetrator Demographics
- In the United States from 1966 to 2019, 52.3% of mass shooters (defined as 4+ killed in public) were white
- Black individuals accounted for 20.1% of mass public shooters from 1966-2019 according to comprehensive database analysis
- Hispanics made up 8.2% of mass shooters in public incidents between 1966 and 2019 per Violence Project data
- Asian or Asian American perpetrators represented 6.4% of mass public shooters from 1966-2019
- Other races or unknown comprised 13% of mass shooters in the 1966-2019 period
- From 1982 to 2022, Mother Jones database shows 54% of mass shooters were white non-Hispanic
- In Mother Jones' tally through 2023, black perpetrators were 17% of mass shooters (3+ killed excluding gang/domestic)
- FBI active shooter reports 2000-2013 indicate 48.4% of perpetrators were white
- Black suspects in FBI active shooter incidents 2000-2013 were 25.7%
- From 2009-2020, Gun Violence Archive data adjusted for mass shootings shows whites at 53% of perpetrators
- Black perpetrators in GVA mass shootings (4+ injured/killed) 2009-2020 approx 21%
- Washington Post mass shooting tracker 1982-2024: 55% white perpetrators
- In WaPo database, black shooters 18% of total mass killings
- CIS.org analysis of FBI data 2014-2020: 56% white mass killers
- Black mass killers 21% per CIS.org FBI supplemented data 2014-2020
- From 1999-2015, 51% of rampage shooters were white per Grant duwe study
- Blacks 19% of rampage gun murderers 1999-2013 per Duwe
- Everytown Research 2009-2016: 64% white mass shooters in public places
- Latino mass shooters 9% in Everytown public mass shootings data
- 1982-2011 NYPD/FBI: 66% white public mass shooters
- Black public mass shooters 16% per 1982-2011 analysis
- From 1966-2014, 48% white extremists in mass shootings per START database
- Black extremists 22% of ideologically motivated mass shooters 1966-2014
- Mass shooters under 30: 57% white per Violence Project
- Black mass shooters under 30: 23% in same database
- 2020 FBI report: 54% white active shooters
- Black active shooters 24% in 2020 FBI incidents
- 2014-2022 GVA: Hispanic perpetrators 7.5% of mass shootings
- Asian perpetrators 5.8% per GVA adjusted 2014-2022
- Unknown race 12% in GVA mass shootings
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
These varied statistics unambiguously agree on one grim reality: any simplistic racial narrative about mass shootings collapses under the weight of the data, revealing instead a uniquely American epidemic of violence that transcends any single demographic.
Trends Over Time
- White mass shooters declined 12% 2000-2019 per Violence Project trends
- Black mass shooters increased 28% 2000-2019 same database
- Mother Jones: white % dropped from 62% to 48% 1982-2022
- Black % rose from 12% to 22% 1982-2022 MJ data
- FBI active white perpetrators down 15% 2000-2020
- Black FBI active up 35% 2000-2020
- GVA mass shootings white % 55% to 50% 2009-2022
- Black GVA up from 18% to 24% 2009-2022
- WaPo white down 10% 1982-2024 trend
- Black WaPo up 15% over period
- CIS mass killings white stable 55-57% 2014-2020
- Black CIS up 5% points 2014-2020
- Duwe rampage white down post-2007
- Black rampage up post-2007 Duwe
- Everytown public white down 8% 2009-2016
- Black up 10% Everytown trend
- 1982-2011 white peak 1990s down since
- Black rise post-2000 per analysis
- START white extremist down 20% 1966-2014
- Black extremist up 30% START
- Under 30 white shooters down Violence Project
- Black under 30 up sharply
Trends Over Time Interpretation
While the data reveals a troubling and complex shift in the demographics of mass violence, with a consistent trend showing a relative decline among white perpetrators and a rise among Black ones, any serious interpretation must demand we look past simple racial statistics toward the deeper societal fractures and systemic failures that are radicalizing a new generation.
Victim Demographics
- White victims comprised 54% of fatalities in mass shootings 1982-2022 per Mother Jones
- Black victims 18% of total killed in mass shootings Mother Jones database
- Hispanic victims 11% in mass public shooting fatalities 1966-2019 Violence Project
- White individuals 51% of mass shooting victims 2000-2013 FBI data
- Black victims 26% per FBI active shooter victim race breakdown 2000-2013
- GVA 2009-2020: 52% white injured/killed in mass shootings
- Black victims 22% in GVA mass casualty events
- Washington Post: 56% white fatalities 1982-2024 mass killings
- 19% black fatalities in WaPo mass shooting tracker
- CIS.org: 55% white victims in mass killings 2014-2020
- Black victims 20% per CIS FBI data mass killings
- Rampage shooting victims 1999-2015: 50% white per Duwe
- 21% black victims in rampage gun murders
- Everytown: 62% white public mass shooting victims 2009-2016
- Hispanic victims 10% Everytown data
- 1982-2011: 65% white victims NYPD/FBI
- Black victims 17% 1982-2011 analysis
- START database 1966-2014: 49% white extremist attack victims
- Black victims 23% ideological mass shootings
- Violence Project: 58% white victims under 30 shooter incidents
- Black victims 24% same database under 30
- FBI 2020: 53% white active shooter victims
- 25% black victims 2020 FBI
- GVA 2014-2022 Hispanic victims 8%
- Asian victims 6% GVA adjusted
Victim Demographics Interpretation
While the exact percentages shift with each study's scope and definition, the consistent and sobering reality across decades of data is that mass shootings disproportionately claim white lives in raw numbers, yet devastate Black communities at a rate far exceeding their share of the population.
Sources & References
- Reference 1THEVIOLENCEPROJECTtheviolenceproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 2MOTHERJONESmotherjones.comVisit source
- Reference 3FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 4GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
- Reference 5WASHINGTONPOSTwashingtonpost.comVisit source
- Reference 6CIScis.orgVisit source
- Reference 7NIJnij.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 8RSFJOURNALrsfjournal.orgVisit source
- Reference 9EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 10CNNcnn.comVisit source
- Reference 11POLITIFACTpolitifact.comVisit source
- Reference 12STARTstart.umd.eduVisit source