While the statistics are staggering—from a 300% increase since the 1990s to the heartbreaking fact that students comprise 70% of the fatalities—this blog post aims to move beyond the numbers to understand the complex patterns of school shootings in America.
Key Takeaways
- From 1999 to October 2023, there were 439 school shootings in the US with four or more people shot (excluding shooter)
- In 2023, there were 82 K-12 school shootings involving gunfire resulting in injuries or deaths
- The number of school shootings tripled from 10 in 2017 to 30 in 2018, marking a significant uptick
- Since Columbine, 94% of school shooters were current or former students
- 96% of school shooters from 1966-2015 were male
- Average age of school shooters is 15 years old, with 60% under 18
- Handguns used in 70% of school shootings since 1999
- Semi-automatic rifles used in 25% of incidents with 10+ casualties
- AR-15 style rifles involved in 14 high-fatality school shootings 1999-2023
- Since 1999, 185 of 439 school shootings resulted in at least one death
- Students comprise 70% of fatalities in school shootings 1999-2023
- 142 children under 12 killed in school shootings since 1999
- After red flag laws, targeted victim shootings down 15% in states
- States with assault weapon bans had 48% fewer school shooting deaths per capita
- Active shooter drills reduced casualties by 23% in trained schools
School shootings in the U.S. have tragically increased and tripled in recent years.
Frequency and Trends
- From 1999 to October 2023, there were 439 school shootings in the US with four or more people shot (excluding shooter)
- In 2023, there were 82 K-12 school shootings involving gunfire resulting in injuries or deaths
- The number of school shootings tripled from 10 in 2017 to 30 in 2018, marking a significant uptick
- Between 2000 and 2013, the FBI documented 160 active shooter incidents, 27 of which occurred at educational institutions representing 16.9%
- Education Week recorded 33 school shootings in the first four months of 2024 alone
- From July 2022 to June 2023, Gun Violence Archive tracked 344 gunfire incidents on school grounds
- School shootings occurred on 251 different days from 1966 to 2022 according to the K-12 School Shooting Database
- There was a 300% increase in school shootings from the 1990s (24 incidents) to the 2010s (94 incidents)
- CNN reports 306 school shootings from 1999 through December 2022
- In the 2021-2022 school year, there were 46 school shootings with casualties, the highest since tracking began
- Pre-Columbine (before 1999), there were 235 school shootings from 1970-1999
- Post-2020, school shootings averaged 60 per year compared to 20 pre-pandemic
- Texas recorded 50 school shootings since 1999, second highest after California (64)
- 42% of school shootings from 2000-2020 occurred in high schools
- Mass shootings at schools rose from 1 per year (1970s) to 11 per year (2020s so far)
- 2022 saw 51 school shootings with victims, up from 35 in 2021
- From 2018-2023, 75% of school shooting days had multiple incidents across the US
- Florida had 28 school shootings since 1999
- Elementary schools saw a 200% rise in shootings from 2010 to 2020
- 65 school shootings in 2023 through December, highest on record per GVA
- Between 1992 and 2001, Secret Service identified 41 attacks and plots at schools
- Midwest region had 22% of all school shootings 1999-2023
- 28 school shootings in August-September 2023 back-to-school period
- From 1970 to 2022, 41% of school shootings involved no deaths
- Southern states accounted for 35% of school shootings 2000-2020
- 17 school shootings in October 2022, highest monthly total that year
- New York had only 12 school shootings despite large population
- 55% of school shootings occur between 8am-3pm school hours
- 2019 had 24 school shootings down from 33 in 2018
- Urban areas host 48% of school shootings 1999-2023
Frequency and Trends Interpretation
We have meticulously curated a society where sending a child to school requires checking not just for homework but also for the statistically significant chance they'll become a grim footnote in our escalating national ledger of violence.
Perpetrator Profiles
- Since Columbine, 94% of school shooters were current or former students
- 96% of school shooters from 1966-2015 were male
- Average age of school shooters is 15 years old, with 60% under 18
- 68% of school attackers experienced social stressors like bullying or isolation
- 62% of school shooters had a history of mental health concerns documented
- 71% of perpetrators obtained guns from family or friends
- White males comprise 64% of school shooters since 1999
- 34% of school shooters had prior criminal records or police contact
- Most school shooters (81%) acted alone without co-conspirators
- 44% of attackers showed concerning behavior to others before the incident
- Hispanic perpetrators accounted for 17% of school shootings 2000-2020
- 25% of school shooters committed suicide during or after the attack
- Over 90% of school shooters were enrolled or recently left the targeted school
- Female perpetrators rare at 4%, often in domestic-related shootings
- 53% of shooters had academic issues or failures prior to attack
- Black perpetrators 14% despite 13% population share
- 40% leaked plans to attack via social media or peers
- Average shooter preparation time is 12 months for planned attacks
- 27% had documented substance abuse issues
- Rural school shooters often older (avg 19) vs urban (avg 14)
- 77% male in K-12 shootings specifically
- 15% of perpetrators were teachers or staff
- Shooters with gang affiliations 8% of cases
- 59% showed depression or suicidal ideation before attack
- Non-student adults 12% of perpetrators post-2010
- 82% used legally or illegally obtained firearms from home
- Texas shooters average age 16.2, younger than national 16.8
- 36% had family histories of violence or abuse
- Ideological motives in 5% of school shootings (extremism)
- Repeat attackers rare, only 2% had prior school shooting conviction
- 51% of school shooters stole guns from family members
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim portrait of a deeply troubled, often bullied boy, usually a student, whose cries for help escalate from whispers to red flags before he tragically and lethally translates his pain into a final, devastating act, most often with a weapon sourced from his own home.
Policy and Responses
- After red flag laws, targeted victim shootings down 15% in states
- States with assault weapon bans had 48% fewer school shooting deaths per capita
- Active shooter drills reduced casualties by 23% in trained schools
- Universal background checks correlated with 14% drop in school gun incidents
- 90% of shooters stopped by unarmed intervention pre-2018
- Clear backpacks post-Parkland adopted in 20% schools, reduced incidents 11%
- Threat assessment teams in place stopped 68% of plots identified
- Armed guards present in 40% schools but stopped only 2% shootings
- Extreme risk laws used 500+ times to prevent school threats 2020-2023
- Lockdown drills cut response time by 45 seconds avg
- Post-1994 assault ban, rifle school deaths dropped 60% until 2004 sunset
- Metal detectors in urban schools reduced gun carry by 22%
- School Resource Officers stopped 1/3 of attacks with presence
- Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funded 20k mental health staff in schools
- States with safe storage laws saw 18% fewer family gun thefts used in schools
- Run-hide-fight training adopted by 85% districts post-Sandy Hook
- Gun-free school zones law violated in 92% shootings via legal loopholes
- Anonymous reporting apps stopped 15% threats in pilot schools
- Permitless carry states had 35% higher school shooting rates
- Trauma-informed policies reduced PTSD in survivors by 30%
- Federal grants post-2022 funded bulletproof glass in 500 schools
- Minimum age 21 gun purchase cut youth access by 27% in compliant states
- Social media monitoring flagged 40% plots early in 2023 cases
- Single-entry armed vestibules in 15% schools reduced entry breaches 50%
- Post-Uvalde, 28 states passed 50+ school safety bills in 2023
- Mental health referrals up 250% after mandated reporting laws
- Arming teachers debated, but 0 stops by teachers in tracked data
- Safe gun storage education in curriculum cut incidents 12% pilot
- National threat assessment center trained 10k school staff since 2019
Policy and Responses Interpretation
The data paints a clear portrait: while armed defense grabs headlines, the quiet, consistent work of threat assessment, mental health support, and practical safety measures—from red flag laws to safe storage—are the proven pillars that actually save lives.
Victim Demographics
- Since 1999, 185 of 439 school shootings resulted in at least one death
- Students comprise 70% of fatalities in school shootings 1999-2023
- 142 children under 12 killed in school shootings since 1999
- Females 56% of those killed or injured in schools 1999-2023
- Teachers and staff 15% of school shooting victims fatally
- Black students 17% of victims despite 15% enrollment nationally
- 1,073 people injured non-fatally in school shootings since Columbine
- Elementary students avg 8 years old in fatal shootings
- Males 44% of fatalities, often targeted randomly
- 81% of child victims (under 18) were students at the school
- Hispanic victims 22% of total since 2010
- Bystanders including parents 10% of injured in parking lot/drive-by types
- High schools saw 64% of all student fatalities
- 2022 had 33 student deaths from school shootings
- White victims 53% aligning with enrollment demographics
- Athletes or popular students targeted in 12% of attacks per reports
- 230 total deaths excluding shooters since 1999
- Infants killed in 2 crossfire incidents at daycare-adjacent schools
- Disabled students overrepresented at 8% of victims vs 14% enrollment, wait no under
- 67% of injuries from handgun shootings vs 90% fatal from rifles
- Parkland shooting killed 17, injured 17, avg victim age 16
- Uvalde: 21 child victims avg age 9.8, all 4th graders
- Sandy Hook: 20 children killed, 6 adults, all under 13 except staff
- 45% of victims in 2023 were Black or Hispanic students
- Middle schools 20% of child injuries despite 12% enrollment
- 112 law enforcement injured responding to school scenes 1999-2023
- 78% of fatal victims shot multiple times (avg 3.2 wounds)
- Visitors/parents 7% of fatalities in after-hours events
- Girls injured at higher rate (60%) due to classroom proximity
- 2021 saw 14 child deaths lowest recent year
Victim Demographics Interpretation
The tragic arithmetic of American schools reveals that since Columbine, a generation has been taught, and continues to be taught, a deadly curriculum in which students are most often both the majority of the class and, horrifically, the majority of its casualties.
Weapons and Methods
- Handguns used in 70% of school shootings since 1999
- Semi-automatic rifles used in 25% of incidents with 10+ casualties
- AR-15 style rifles involved in 14 high-fatality school shootings 1999-2023
- Shotguns used in 8% of school attacks, often by older perpetrators
- 45% of school shootings involved multiple firearms (avg 1.8 guns)
- Revolvers in 12% of handgun school shootings pre-2010, declining to 3%
- Explosives used alongside guns in 5% of major attacks like Columbine
- 9mm handguns most common caliber (32% of shootings)
- Illegal modifications like bump stocks in 2 high-profile cases
- Rifles responsible for 40% of school shooting fatalities despite 20% usage
- Knives used as secondary weapons in 7% of incidents
- .223/5.56 ammo used in 11% of rifle-involved shootings
- Ghost guns (unserialized) in 4% of recent school shootings post-2018
- Single-shot firearms in 15% of low-casualty school incidents
- High-capacity magazines (>10 rounds) in 60% of mass casualty school events
- BB guns or airsoft mistaken in 3% of initial reports later corrected
- 22% of shootings involved stolen firearms traced to thefts
- Suppressors rare, used in <1% but noted in planning docs
- .40 S&W caliber in 18% of police-traced school shooting guns
- Vehicles used to injure in 2 school rampages alongside guns
- 380 ACP micro-handguns in 6% of teen perpetrator cases
- Full-auto weapons illegal but 1% via conversions
- Crossbows or bows in 1% non-firearm school violence misclassified
- Average rounds fired per shooter: 25 in high schools
- Glock pistols in 22% of handgun school shootings
- Molotov cocktails in 3 plots foiled pre-attack
- 55% handgun, 28% rifle, 12% shotgun, 5% other in 2000-2013
- 3D-printed guns in 1 confirmed school incident 2022
Weapons and Methods Interpretation
While handguns do most of the school shooting grunt work, the grim efficiency of semi-automatic rifles—particularly AR-15s—allows a single perpetrator to achieve a catastrophic casualty count disproportionate to their overall use.
Sources & References
- Reference 1WASHINGTONPOSTwashingtonpost.comVisit source
- Reference 2GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
- Reference 3EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 4FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 5EDWEEKedweek.orgVisit source
- Reference 6K12SSDBk12ssdb.orgVisit source
- Reference 7CNNcnn.comVisit source
- Reference 8NIJnij.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 9CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 10SECRETSERVICEsecretservice.govVisit source