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
- 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
- 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
- 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
School shootings in the US have surged over decades, with K 12 incidents and casualties rising sharply in recent years.
Frequency and Trends
Frequency and Trends Interpretation
Perpetrator Profiles
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
Policy and Responses
Policy and Responses Interpretation
Victim Demographics
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Weapons and Methods
Weapons and Methods 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.
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). School.Shooting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-statistics
Daniel Varga. "School.Shooting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-statistics.
Daniel Varga. 2026. "School.Shooting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-shooting-statistics.
Sources & References
- Reference 1WASHINGTONPOSTwashingtonpost.com
washingtonpost.com
- Reference 2GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.org
gunviolencearchive.org
- Reference 3EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.org
everytownresearch.org
- Reference 4FBIfbi.gov
fbi.gov
- Reference 5EDWEEKedweek.org
edweek.org
- Reference 6K12SSDBk12ssdb.org
k12ssdb.org
- Reference 7CNNcnn.com
cnn.com
- Reference 8NIJnij.ojp.gov
nij.ojp.gov
- Reference 9CDCcdc.gov
cdc.gov
- Reference 10SECRETSERVICEsecretservice.gov
secretservice.gov







