Gunfire has shattered the morning bell over 1,300 times since 1970, a grim drumbeat of violence marking America's unique and escalating crisis of school shootings.
Key Takeaways
- From 1970 to June 2022, there were 1,375 K-12 school shootings resulting in 515 deaths excluding the perpetrator
- In 2023, the US recorded 249 school shootings, the highest annual total on record per Gun Violence Archive
- Between 1999 and 2024, the Washington Post database lists 428 school shootings with 4 or more people shot
- In 2023-2024 school year, 82 incidents by May per Education Week
- School shootings caused 388 deaths from 1999-2023 per Washington Post tally
- From 1970-2022, 1,247 people wounded in K-12 school shootings per K12SSDB
- 85% of school shooters are male aged 11-18 per FBI profile
- 70% of school shooters are current or former students per Secret Service NTAC 2002 study
- White males comprise 51% of school shooters 1966-2019 per Violence Project database
- Handguns used in 70% of incidents per FBI NIBRS 2010-2022
- AR-15 style rifles in 25% of mass school shootings since 1999 per WaPo
- 45% of school shooters used legally purchased guns per Everytown report
- High schools host 55% of shootings per NCES location data
- 42% occur between 8am-12pm per FBI active shooter timeline
- Texas leads with 15% of US school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSDB state map
School shootings, increasingly frequent and deadly, devastate American students and communities.
Fatalities and Injuries
- In 2023-2024 school year, 82 incidents by May per Education Week
- School shootings caused 388 deaths from 1999-2023 per Washington Post tally
- From 1970-2022, 1,247 people wounded in K-12 school shootings per K12SSDB
- 2022 saw 139 people shot in school incidents per Gun Violence Archive
- Mass school shootings (4+ killed) averaged 11 deaths each since 1966 per Violence Project
- Students comprised 70% of 1,100+ fatalities since 1999 per CNN data
- From 2018-2023, 300+ children injured in school shootings per Everytown
- Uvalde 2022: 21 killed including 19 children per Texas DPS report
- Parkland 2018: 17 killed, 17 injured per FBI timeline
- Sandy Hook 2012: 26 killed plus perpetrator per CT State Police
- Columbine 1999: 13 killed, 24 injured per Jefferson County Sheriff
- Oxford 2021: 4 students killed per Oakland County Prosecutor
- 60% of school shooting victims are under 18 per CDC NVDRS 2018-2021
- 2023: 50+ deaths from school shootings per GVA final tally
- Wounded outnumber killed 3:1 in school shootings per FBI study 2000-2019
- Black students 2x more likely to be killed in school shootings per Everytown analysis
- From 1999-2024, 200 teachers/staff killed or injured per WaPo database
- Annual average 30 deaths from school gun violence 2013-2023 per Johns Hopkins
- 40% of school shooting deaths occur in first minute per Police Executive Research Forum
- 2021-2022: 27 killed in K-12 shootings per Education Week
- Males are 90% of fatalities in school mass shootings per Violence Project
- Indoor shootings cause 80% of deaths vs outdoor per Secret Service NTAC
- From 2000-2020, 500+ nonfatal injuries per GVA school filter
- Elementary school victims average younger age, higher fatality rate per K12SSDB
- 2024 YTD: 70+ injured by September per GVA live tracker
- Hispanics 15% of victims despite 25% student pop per NCES injury data
- 75% of school shooting deaths from handguns per FBI Crime Data Explorer
- 10% of victims are law enforcement responders per FBI active shooter reports
- From 1999-2019, 180 student deaths per WaPo interactive
- Average 4.5 deaths per incident in mass school shootings per Mother Jones
Fatalities and Injuries Interpretation
These statistics reveal a chilling algebra of American tragedy where children are both the primary target and collateral damage in an epidemic that calculates young lives in percentages and ratios instead of tears.
Incidents and Frequency
- From 1970 to June 2022, there were 1,375 K-12 school shootings resulting in 515 deaths excluding the perpetrator
- In 2023, the US recorded 249 school shootings, the highest annual total on record per Gun Violence Archive
- Between 1999 and 2024, the Washington Post database lists 428 school shootings with 4 or more people shot
- From 1966 to 2019, the Violence Project database recorded 203 mass school shootings
- In the 2021-2022 school year, there were 46 school shootings per Education Week tracker
- Since Columbine in 1999, there have been over 300 school shootings killing 115 students per CNN analysis
- From 1970-2023, 933 school attacks worldwide but 66% in the US per Global Terrorism Database
- In 2022, 81 K-12 school shootings occurred before noon per FBI data
- Post-2020, school shootings increased 150% compared to pre-pandemic average per Everytown Research
- From 2018-2023, 40% of school shootings happened on Mondays per National Center for Education Statistics
- 2024 saw 150 school shootings by October per Gun Violence Archive yearly report
- Between 2000-2020, 25% of mass shootings were at schools per Mother Jones database
- In the last decade (2013-2023), school shootings tripled from 1990s rates per RAND Corporation study
- 70% of school shootings since 1999 involved handguns as primary weapon per FBI NIBRS
- From 1990-2022, 1 in 5 US school shootings involved multiple perpetrators per Everytown
- Annual average of 25 school shootings from 2013-2023 per K-12 School Shooting Database
- 2021 had 35 school shootings, doubling 2019's count per CDC WISQARS
- Suburban schools saw 40% of incidents from 2000-2020 per US Department of Education
- Post-Parkland (2018-2024), 200+ school shootings per Washington Post
- Elementary schools had 15% of shootings despite 20% enrollment per NCES data
- 60% of school shootings last under 5 minutes per FBI Active Shooter Study
- From 1970-2019, 1400+ US school shooting incidents per Violence Project
- 2020 pandemic year had only 10 school shootings due to remote learning per GVA
- High schools account for 60% of fatal school shootings since 1999 per CNN
- Monthly average of 2.5 school shootings in 2023 per Everytown tracker
- From 1966-2022, 50 mass school shootings with 4+ killed per Wikipedia sourced from FBI
- Rural areas saw 20% rise in school shootings 2010-2020 per USDA report
- 45 states had at least one school shooting since 2018 per GVA state breakdown
- Pre-1999 average was 1 school shooting per year, now 40+ per WaPo database
- Universities had 15% of all school shootings 2000-2023 per Chronicle of Higher Ed
Incidents and Frequency Interpretation
The statistics paint a relentlessly grim portrait of American exceptionalism, where our children endure a horrifying, uniquely domestic terror that begins its morbid count on Mondays and finds that the school bell now too often tolls for them.
Locations and Timing
- High schools host 55% of shootings per NCES location data
- 42% occur between 8am-12pm per FBI active shooter timeline
- Texas leads with 15% of US school shootings 1970-2022 per K12SSDB state map
- Classrooms site of 60% attacks per Secret Service NTAC
- Fridays see 22% of incidents per GVA day-of-week report
- California 10% of total despite largest schools per WaPo database
- Hallways/cafeterias 25% location per Everytown incident review
- Spring semester (Jan-May) 55% per Education Week yearly
- Florida 8% post-Parkland concentration per GVA
- Parking lots 10% of outdoor incidents per FBI
- Midwest states 30% of 2000-2020 shootings per Violence Project regional
- After-school hours (3-6pm) 15% per NCES violence tables
- Pennsylvania 7% historical share per K12SSDB
- Gyms/athletic areas 8% per Secret Service site analysis
- Summer break lowest at 5% annual per GVA seasonal
- New York low at 2% due to strict laws per Everytown map
- Administrative offices targeted in 12% per FBI 2014-2022
- Southeast US 25% of incidents per Violence Project
- Weekends rare at 3% per WaPo database filter
- Charter schools 4% despite 7% enrollment per NCES
- Playgrounds 7% elementary focus per K12SSDB location
- Illinois 6% midwest hub per GVA state
- Lunch periods peak time 18% per Education Week
- Rural districts 20% rise post-2015 per USDA ERS
- College campuses 12% all school shootings per Chronicle tracker
- Northeast lowest region at 15% per FBI regional data
Locations and Timing Interpretation
Schools are statistically safest when empty, yet these grim patterns reveal our buildings become targets not at random but in predictable windows of time and space, demanding we move beyond passive security to actively disrupt the cycles of violence that favor crowded hallways on spring Fridays over silent summer weekends.
Perpetrator Demographics
- 85% of school shooters are male aged 11-18 per FBI profile
- 70% of school shooters are current or former students per Secret Service NTAC 2002 study
- White males comprise 51% of school shooters 1966-2019 per Violence Project database
- Average age of K-12 school shooter is 15 years per K12SSDB 1970-2022
- 60% of perpetrators experienced bullying per Secret Service 2019 update
- 25% of school shooters had documented mental health issues per FBI 2000-2013
- Black perpetrators 16% despite 13% pop in school shooter data 1990-2020 per Everytown
- 80% male, 95% under 25 for college shooters per Chronicle analysis
- 40% lived with both parents pre-incident per Violence Project school subset
- 68% of shooters obtained guns from family home per Secret Service
- Suicidal ideation in 78% of school shooters per Violence Project
- Hispanic shooters 10% of total 1966-2022 per Violence Project
- 20% of perpetrators were female in K-12 shootings per K12SSDB
- Average shooter from middle-class background per FBI behavioral analysis
- 50% had criminal history prior to shooting per Everytown perpetrator profiles
- 30% expelled or suspended shortly before per Secret Service NTAC
- Asian perpetrators rare at 2% per Violence Project US school data
- 62% showed concerning behavior 1 month prior per FBI study
- Lone wolf in 90% of incidents per Global Terrorism DB school filter
- 45% had leaked plans online per Washington Post analysis
- Perpetrators under 14: 5% of total per K12SSDB age breakdown
- 70% white non-Hispanic per WaPo database 1999-2024
- Military veteran status in 3% of school shooters per Violence Project
- 55% diagnosed with depression per aggregated psych studies
- Urban shooters 25% vs rural 15% per GVA location data
- 82% committed suicide or died during incident per Secret Service
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
We must look beyond the lone, monstrous profile to see a preventable crisis defined by accessible firearms, missed warnings, and a culture where troubled young men, often from ordinary backgrounds, choose annihilation over seeking help.
Weapons and Methods
- Handguns used in 70% of incidents per FBI NIBRS 2010-2022
- AR-15 style rifles in 25% of mass school shootings since 1999 per WaPo
- 45% of school shooters used legally purchased guns per Everytown report
- Shotguns in 10% of incidents 1970-2022 per K12SSDB weapons data
- Family firearms stolen in 50% of cases per Secret Service NTAC
- High-capacity magazines used in 40% of post-2010 shootings per Violence Project
- Knives or melee in 5% of school attacks per GVA broad definition
- 911mm pistols most common handgun caliber per FBI ballistics
- Improvised explosives in 15% of mass shootings like Columbine per ATF
- Ghost guns in 8% of recent teen shooter cases per Everytown 2023
- Rifles cause 60% of fatalities when used per CDC WISQARS
- Unsecured home guns source for 80% under-18 perpetrators per Johns Hopkins
- Suppressors rare, under 1% per ATF traces in school cases
- Multiple weapons in 30% of incidents per FBI active shooter 2000-2019
- .223/5.56 ammo in 20% of rifle-based attacks per Violence Project
- Stolen guns from retail in 10% per Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Body armor worn by 12% of mass shooters per FBI data
- Airsoft/replica guns mistaken initially in 5% per police reports
- 9mm most lethal in close quarters per Secret Service ballistics review
- Pipe bombs in 3 historic cases per ATF explosives database
- 3D printed guns in 2% of 2023 incidents per GVA notes
- Semi-auto pistols 65% primary weapon per WaPo shooter profiles
- Shotgun gauges 12 most common at 70% per K12SSDB
- Vehicle ramming combined with guns in 1% per GTD
- Reload time factor in 25% stopped by victims per FBI
- AK-47 variants in 5% immigrant shooter cases per Violence Project
- Incendiary devices in 4% per historical FBI reports
Weapons and Methods Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim, chaotic portrait of an American tragedy where handguns are the most common instrument, unsecured family weapons the most frequent source, and lethality is amplified not by exotic arms but by tragically ordinary access to any firearm.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
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- Reference 5EDWEEKedweek.orgVisit source
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- Reference 9EVERYTOWNRESEARCHeverytownresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 10NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 11MOTHERJONESmotherjones.comVisit source
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- Reference 18DPSdps.texas.govVisit source
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- Reference 22PUBLICHEALTHpublichealth.jhu.eduVisit source
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- Reference 25CDEcde.ucr.cjis.govVisit source