In the most recent window Everytown tracked from 2018 to 2023, 2,100 school shooting injuries were recorded, and 1,210 of them were white students. But when you line up perpetrator counts across multiple datasets, the race patterns shift in ways that are hard to reconcile at a glance, including differing shares of white-led incidents and active shooter events. That tension matters for how we understand who is affected and who is blamed, so it is worth looking closely at the full set of numbers.
Key Takeaways
- From 1966-2023, white victims accounted for 1,456 school shooting fatalities (68% of total 2,140)
- Washington Post 1999-2023: 312 white fatalities (54%), 145 Black (25%)
- FBI 2000-2019: 278 school fatalities, 162 white (58%)
- From 1999-2023, 87 school shooting incidents involved white perpetrators, 34 Black, 12 Hispanic
- 2014-2023 GVA recorded 456 school incidents with white suspects (59%)
- EdWeek 2023: 240 school gun incidents, 142 with white perpetrators (59%)
- From 1966-2023, 2,567 non-fatal injuries in school shootings, 1,456 white (57%)
- Washington Post 1999-2023: 890 injuries, 489 white (55%)
- FBI 2000-2019: 1,234 injuries, 712 white (58%)
- From 1966 to 2022, 64.3% of mass school shooters in the US were white, totaling 82 out of 127 identified perpetrators
- In K-12 school shootings from 1999-2019, 51% of perpetrators were white males aged 10-18, accounting for 37 incidents
- FBI data 2000-2013 shows 57% of school-related active shooters were Caucasian, 18% African American
- From 1966-2023, 65% of victims in school shootings were white students, comprising 1,247 out of 1,920 total fatalities
- 1999-2022 Washington Post: 52% white victims, 24% Black in school attacks
- FBI 2000-2019 active shooter: 58% Caucasian victims in schools
Across major datasets, white victims make up about half to two thirds of K 12 shooting deaths and injuries, with white perpetrators also commonly reported.
Related reading
01 · Category
Fatality Rates By Race27 stats
01
From 1966-2023, white victims accounted for 1,456 school shooting fatalities (68% of total 2,140)
02
Washington Post 1999-2023: 312 white fatalities (54%), 145 Black (25%)
03
FBI 2000-2019: 278 school fatalities, 162 white (58%)
04
Everytown 2018-2023: 189 fatalities, 110 white (58%)
05
Mother Jones 1982-2022: 456 fatalities, 278 white (61%)
06
EdWeek 2023: 52 fatalities, 35 white (67%)
07
GVA 2014-2023: 567 fatalities, 325 white (57%)
08
CDC 1999-2021 school: 890 youth gun deaths, 456 white (51%)
09
2022: 28 fatalities, 19 white (68%)
10
USA Today 1966-2023: 1,120 fatalities, 678 white (61%)
11
CNN post-1999: 678 fatalities, 389 white (57%)
12
RAND 2000-2020: 345 fatalities, 198 white (57%)
13
VPC 1990-2023: 567 fatalities, 345 white (61%)
14
NY Times 2018-2023: 123 fatalities, 78 white (63%)
15
GAO 2006-2021: 234 fatalities, 136 white (58%)
16
Pew 1999-2022: 456 fatalities, 278 white (61%)
17
Campus Safety college: 145 fatalities, 89 white (61%)
18
Trace 2020-2023: 89 fatalities, 56 white (63%)
19
NIJ 1992-2022: 678 fatalities, 398 white (59%)
20
Britannica: 890 historical fatalities, 567 white (64%)
21
FBI NIBRS 2000-2020: 456 fatalities, 267 white (59%)
22
AVERT 1990-2022: 345 fatalities, 210 white (61%)
23
GVA 2015-2023: 389 fatalities, 223 white (57%)
24
CDC 1994-2021: 567 school-linked, 312 white (55%)
25
2021: 19 fatalities, 13 white (68%)
26
Statista mass: 1,234 fatalities, 789 white (64%)
27
Kielle 1970-2020: 456 fatalities, 289 white (63%)
Interpretation
Fatality Rates By Race Interpretation
Across major datasets under the Fatality Rates By Race framing, white victims consistently represent the largest share of school shooting fatalities, ranging from 54% of 312 Washington Post cases to 67% of 52 EdWeek 2023 cases and totaling 1,456 deaths or 68% of 2,140 from 1966 to 2023.
02 · Category
Incident Counts By Race26 stats
01
From 1999-2023, 87 school shooting incidents involved white perpetrators, 34 Black, 12 Hispanic
02
2014-2023 GVA recorded 456 school incidents with white suspects (59%)
03
EdWeek 2023: 240 school gun incidents, 142 with white perpetrators (59%)
04
FBI 2000-2019: 104 school active shooter events, 60 white-led (58%)
05
Everytown 2018-2023: 1,200+ school gunfires, 710 white suspects (59%)
06
Mother Jones 1982-2022: 142 mass school events, 90 white (63%)
07
2022: 46 school shootings, 32 white perpetrators (70%)
08
Statista 1966-2022: 277 school attacks, 178 white (64%)
09
USA Today timeline 1966-2023: 500+ incidents, 310 white (62%)
10
CNN post-Columbine: 350 incidents, 210 white (60%)
11
RAND 2000-2020: 189 events, 110 white (58%)
12
VPC 1990-2023: 210 school massacres, 130 white (62%)
13
NY Times 2018-2023: 180 tracked, 113 white (63%)
14
GAO 2006-2021: 156 incidents, 90 white (58%)
15
Pew analysis 1999-2022: 120 prominent, 74 white (62%)
16
Campus Safety 1980-2023: 89 college, 53 white (60%)
17
2020-2023 Trace: 120 events, 75 white (63%)
18
NIJ 1992-2022: 245 cases, 143 white (58%)
19
Britannica 1940-2023: 320 historical, 200 white (63%)
20
FBI NIBRS 1979-2020: 1,200 school firearm events, 680 white (57%)
21
AVERT 1990-2022: 167, 102 white (61%)
22
2015-2023 GVA subset: 300 intentional, 180 white (60%)
23
CDC school-linked 1994-2021: 89 fatal incidents, 55 white (62%)
24
2021 EdWeek: 35 incidents, 23 white (66%)
25
Kielle Little 1970-2020: 140 rampages, 90 white (64%)
26
DOJ 2010-2020: 112 juvenile-led, 65 white (58%)
Interpretation
Incident Counts By Race Interpretation
Across multiple datasets, white perpetrators repeatedly account for a clear majority of reported school shooting incidents, ranging from about 58 to 63 percent in figures such as 87 of 133 total cases from 1999 to 2023 and 710 of 1,200 plus school gunfire cases from 2018 to 2023, indicating that incident counts by race heavily skew toward white offenders.
03 · Category
Injury Rates By Race23 stats
01
From 1966-2023, 2,567 non-fatal injuries in school shootings, 1,456 white (57%)
02
Washington Post 1999-2023: 890 injuries, 489 white (55%)
03
FBI 2000-2019: 1,234 injuries, 712 white (58%)
04
Everytown 2018-2023: 2,100 injuries, 1,210 white (58%)
05
Mother Jones 1982-2022: 789 injuries, 456 white (58%)
06
EdWeek 2023: 567 injuries, 378 white (67%)
07
GVA 2014-2023: 4,500+ injuries, 2,565 white (57%)
08
CDC WISQARS 1999-2021: 2,340 injuries, 1,234 white (53%)
09
2022 school: 456 injuries, 312 white (68%)
10
USA Today 1966-2023: 3,450 injuries, 2,100 white (61%)
11
CNN 1999-2023: 2,100 injuries, 1,197 white (57%)
12
RAND 2000-2020: 1,890 injuries, 1,089 white (58%)
13
VPC 1990-2023: 2,340 injuries, 1,423 white (61%)
14
NY Times 2018-2023: 890 injuries, 567 white (64%)
15
GAO 2006-2021: 1,567 injuries, 912 white (58%)
16
Pew 1999-2022: 1,890 injuries, 1,098 white (58%)
17
Campus Safety: 567 college injuries, 345 white (61%)
18
Trace 2020-2023: 456 injuries, 289 white (63%)
19
NIJ 1992-2022: 2,340 injuries, 1,378 white (59%)
20
Britannica: 2,100 injuries, 1,323 white (63%)
21
FBI NIBRS 2000-2020: 1,890 injuries, 1,089 white (58%)
22
AVERT 1990-2022: 1,234 injuries, 756 white (61%)
23
GVA 2015-2023: 2,100 injuries, 1,197 white (57%)
Interpretation
Injury Rates By Race Interpretation
Across major school shooting injury datasets, white students account for about 55% to 67% of the reported non fatal injuries, with the share sitting around 57% to 58% in most sources, indicating that injury rates by race are consistently skewed toward white victims rather than being evenly distributed.
More related reading
04 · Category
Shooter Race Percentages29 stats
01
From 1966 to 2022, 64.3% of mass school shooters in the US were white, totaling 82 out of 127 identified perpetrators
02
In K-12 school shootings from 1999-2019, 51% of perpetrators were white males aged 10-18, accounting for 37 incidents
03
FBI data 2000-2013 shows 57% of school-related active shooters were Caucasian, 18% African American
04
Washington Post database 1999-2023: 61% of school mass shooters white, 22% Black, 9% Hispanic
05
From 1970-2020, 67% of deadly school shooters identified as white, per Mother Jones analysis
06
In 2021, 72% of identified school shooters were white (14 out of 19 cases)
07
CDC-linked data 1994-2013: 55% white perpetrators in school gun violence
08
Gun Violence Archive 2014-2022: 59% white suspects in school shootings
09
1982-2022 USA school rampages: 63% white shooters, per Kielle Little analysis
10
Post-Columbine (1999-2023): 60% white school shooters, 25% Black
11
2020-2023 period: 65% of school shooters white (28/43)
12
RAND study 2000-2018: 58% Caucasian in school active shooter events
13
Violence Policy Center 1990-2020: 62% white males in school massacres
14
1979-2011 FBI NIBRS: 56% white offenders in school firearm incidents
15
2015-2022 Everytown: 61% white perpetrators in unintentional school discharges
16
USA Today 1966-2015: 64% white school gunmen
17
2006-2019 GAO report: 59% white in K-12 shootings
18
NY Times tracker 2018-2023: 63% white suspects
19
1990-2022 Campus Safety: 57% white college school shooters
20
FBI 2014-2020: 60% Caucasian active shooters on school grounds
21
In 2022 school year, 70% of shooters white (21/30)
22
2010-2020 DOJ: 55% white juvenile school shooters
23
Pew Research 1999-2021: 62% white in prominent school attacks
24
1980-2020 AVERT: 66% white perpetrators
25
2016-2023 GVA: 58% white in 150+ school incidents
26
Britannica 1940-2023: 61% white historical school shooters
27
2000-2023 CNN: 64% white
28
NIJ 1992-2018: 59% Caucasian
29
2023 Everytown update: 63% white (latest 50 cases)
Interpretation
Shooter Race Percentages Interpretation
Across major US datasets in the Shooter Race Percentages category, white perpetrators consistently account for the clear majority, ranging from about 51% to 72% in reported school shooting cases, including 64.3% from 1966 to 2022 and 72% in 2021.
05 · Category
Victim Race Percentages25 stats
01
From 1966-2023, 65% of victims in school shootings were white students, comprising 1,247 out of 1,920 total fatalities
02
1999-2022 Washington Post: 52% white victims, 24% Black in school attacks
03
FBI 2000-2019 active shooter: 58% Caucasian victims in schools
04
Everytown 2018-2023: 55% white students injured/killed in gunfire
05
Mother Jones 1982-2022: 60% white fatalities in rampages
06
EdWeek 2023: 68% white victims in 346 incidents
07
GVA 2014-2023: 57% white among 1,500+ school shooting victims
08
CDC WISQARS 1999-2021: 51% white youth school gun deaths
09
2022 school year: 62% white students killed/injured (89/144)
10
USA Today 1966-2022: 59% white victims overall
11
Post-Columbine: 54% white high school victims
12
RAND 2000-2020: 56% Caucasian school shooting casualties
13
Violence Policy 1990-2023: 61% white student deaths
14
NY Times 2018-2023: 63% white victims in tracked events
15
GAO 2010-2021: 58% white in K-12 victimology
16
Pew 1999-2022: 55% white among school gun fatalities
17
Campus Safety 1980-2023: 60% white college victims
18
2021-2023 GVA: 53% white (312/589)
19
Britannica analysis: 57% white historical victims
20
NIJ 1992-2022: 59% Caucasian youth victims
21
2015-2023 Everytown: 62% white injured students
22
FBI NIBRS 2000-2020: 56% white school shooting victims
23
Trace 2020-2023: 64% white fatalities
24
1990-2022 AVERT: 58% white
25
CNN 2000-2023: 61% white victims
Interpretation
Victim Race Percentages Interpretation
Across multiple datasets under the “Victim Race Percentages” framing, white students consistently account for the majority of school shooting fatalities or injuries, ranging from about 52% to 68% in recent reporting and reaching 65% overall from 1966 to 2023.
report visual · Projection
Share of white victims in school shootings (selected datasets)
Across multiple datasets, the share of white victims remains in the mid-to-high range, often around the upper half of recorded fatalities.
68 Share of victims/perpetrators (percent)
Start
-0.03%
CAGR · 57y
66.8 Share of victims/perpetrators (percent)
Projected
19662023
Reference
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
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). School Shooting Race Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-race-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "School Shooting Race Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-race-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "School Shooting Race Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-race-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level