Key Takeaways
- In the Gun Violence Archive mass shooting incident list, 2023 shows a majority of incidents occurring in “Gun-Free Zone” categories in some tabulations, with schools and workplaces representing major subcategories (category totals derived from incident tags)
- In 2019, 39.8% of people shot and killed in U.S. mass public shootings were killed by the firearm used in the incident (this share is reported within research analyzing lethality by weapon in mass public shootings)
- In a study of mass shootings (2014–2017), 86% of victims were civilians rather than law enforcement or armed security (study definition: broad mass shooting dataset)
- 44% of U.S. mass shootings in 2021 (4+ shot) were concentrated in just 10 states (per reporting based on Gun Violence Archive incident data)
- In 2023, the U.S. Secret Service reported that it investigated 2,983 threats and incidents related to protective intelligence concerning people under Secret Service protection (not limited to shootings, but part of threat assessment totals that include violent incidents)
- In a 2019 peer-reviewed study analyzing shooting incidents, about 53% involved a semiautomatic handgun as the primary weapon (dataset-specific share)
- In a 2020 analysis, 60% of perpetrators used multiple weapons during the incident (multiple weapon cases share reported by the study’s tactical coding)
- In a peer-reviewed study of mass shootings, about 44% of perpetrators had previously made threats or communicated intent (pre-attack communication share reported in the study)
- In the U.S. Secret Service 2022/2023 public threat assessment summaries, the agency reports handling thousands of protective intelligence matters; this scale underpins threat response infrastructure for violent threats
- In a 2017 RAND report on active shooter incident response, response time and information-sharing are modeled, with findings that improved coordination reduces casualties in simulated scenarios (quantified impacts reported in the RAND model outputs)
- In a 2020 FEMA Preparedness report, 72% of surveyed entities report using some form of emergency communications planning (planning share; relevant to mass incident response readiness)
- In 2023, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and partner analyses estimate the cost impact of active shooter incidents on public safety budgets; the report provides quantified ranges for emergency response and recovery expenditures
- A 2021 peer-reviewed paper estimates the societal cost of firearm injuries and associated public health burden in the U.S. at about $4.1 trillion over a decade (2019 dollars), including nonfatal and fatal firearm injuries (not mass-shooting-only, but relevant to cost magnitude)
- In a 2019 RAND study on the economic impact of mass casualty events, the report models that indirect economic losses can exceed direct response costs by a multiple (a numeric multiplier is provided in the RAND results)
- In 2021, the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed over 28 million background checks (useful for firearm access context relevant to shooting incidents; not mass-shooting-specific but measurable annually)
In 2021, 44% of U.S. mass shootings with 4+ shots were concentrated in just 10 states.
Demographics And Targets
Demographics And Targets Interpretation
Incidence Counts
Incidence Counts Interpretation
Weapon And Tactics
Weapon And Tactics Interpretation
Response To Risk
Response To Risk Interpretation
Cost And Economic Impact
Cost And Economic Impact Interpretation
Policy And Legal Environment
Policy And Legal Environment Interpretation
Prevention & Policy
Prevention & Policy Interpretation
Response & Tactics
Response & Tactics Interpretation
Threat Assessment
Threat Assessment Interpretation
Incident Counts
Incident Counts Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
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.
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
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
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
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.
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Mass Shootings Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shootings-statistics
Elif Demirci. "Mass Shootings Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mass-shootings-statistics.
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Mass Shootings Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mass-shootings-statistics.
References
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- 2cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/mass-public-shootings-in-the-us-2009-to-2018/5E5BB0E7C8A7A2B1E3E4A4A9E3B7F5A5
- 3journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260520934448
- 4ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8315815/
- 6ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8226760/
- 7ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7426781/
- 8ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7410735/
- 9ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8063350/
- 16ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7410749/
- 26ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7410730/
- 5pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29374375/
- 30pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30652619/
- 10nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2108820
- 29nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa2201057
- 11secretservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/secret-service-releases-2023-annual-report
- 17secretservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/secret-service-releases-2022-annual-report
- 36secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/ss_threat_assessment_public_2022_2023.pdf
- 39secretservice.gov/organization
- 12hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/
- 13sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X19302208
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- 14jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2730693
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- 15tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15564886.2022.2042029
- 18rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1740.html
- 20rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1102-1.html
- 25rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2666.html
- 31rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1206-1.html
- 19fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/fema-preparedness-report-2019.pdf
- 22dhs.gov/publication
- 37dhs.gov/publication/protective-security-advisory-2023
- 23iafc.org/resources/resource/incident-cost-estimates-active-shooter
- 27gov.uk/government/statistics/
- 28fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_month_year.pdf
- 32nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019087.pdf
- 35ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.055180
- 38ucr.fbi.gov/leoka
- 40bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv21.pdf
- 41cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm







