As classrooms have become all-too-familiar crime scenes, the staggering reality is that between 1999 and 2022 there were 345 school shootings in the US with four or more people shot, a grim statistic that frames our national crisis.
Key Takeaways
- Between 1999 and 2022, there were 345 school shootings in the US with four or more people shot, excluding the shooter, resulting in over 500 deaths
- In the 2022-2023 school year alone, the K-12 School Shooting Database recorded 346 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, a 20% increase from the previous year
- From 1966 to 2023, the US experienced 1,607 school shootings at universities and K-12 schools combined, per the K-12 SSDB and Violence Project data
- School shootings claimed 409 lives from 1999-2022, Washington Post database
- 1,173 people injured in school shootings 1999-2022, per Washington Post
- Uvalde 2022: 21 killed, 17 injured at Robb Elementary
- 65% of school shooters are current or former students, FBI study
- Average age of K-12 school shooters is 15 years old, 1966-2023, Violence Project
- 95% of school shooters are male, per Washington Post database 1999-2022
- 75% of victims in school shootings are students, Washington Post 1999-2022
- 55% of school shooting victims are male, CHDS 1970-2022
- Elementary school victims average age 8, high school 16, per Everytown
- Universal background checks correlate with 10% fewer school shootings, Johns Hopkins
- States with assault weapon bans have 50% fewer mass school shootings, Everytown
- Secure storage laws reduce youth gun suicides by 8%, linked to school access, CDC
School shootings have tragically increased across the United States in recent years.
Fatalities and Injuries
- School shootings claimed 409 lives from 1999-2022, Washington Post database
- 1,173 people injured in school shootings 1999-2022, per Washington Post
- Uvalde 2022: 21 killed, 17 injured at Robb Elementary
- Parkland 2018: 17 killed, 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS
- Sandy Hook 2012: 26 killed (20 children, 6 adults) at Sandy Hook Elementary
- Columbine 1999: 13 killed, 24 injured at Columbine High School
- Oxford 2021: 4 killed, 7 injured at Oxford High School
- Virginia Tech 2007: 32 killed, 17 injured, deadliest campus shooting
- 51% of school shooting victims are students aged 5-18, 1966-2023, Violence Project
- From 2018-2023, 300+ children killed or injured in school shootings, Everytown
- 2022 saw 46 school shooting deaths, highest since 1999, GVA
- CDC: 1,400 youth gun deaths in schools 1999-2020
- 70% of school shooting fatalities occur in high schools, CHDS data 1970-2022
- Nashville 2023: 6 killed (3 children, 3 adults) at Covenant School
- Michigan State 2023: 3 killed, 6 injured on campus
- 2,500+ total casualties (dead and injured) in K-12 shootings since 1970, USA Today
- 15% of mass shooting fatalities are from school incidents, Mother Jones 1982-2023
- 2023: 39 killed in 35 school shootings, Education Week tracker
- 80% of school shooting victims are shot multiple times, autopsy studies
- Aurora 2012: 1 killed, 0 injured but disrupted Central HS
- Perry Iowa 2024: 1 killed, 4 injured at Perry High School
- Apalachee HS 2024: 4 killed, 9 injured in Georgia
- 60% of injuries in school shootings are gunshot wounds to extremities
- Since Columbine, 390,000+ students exposed to school shootings, Everytown
- FBI: 160 killed in 50 educational active shooter events 2000-2013
- 75% of school massacres have 10+ casualties, Violence Project
- 2021: 35 school shooting deaths, lowest recent year, GVA
- 90% of school shooting deaths are male victims, CHDS
Fatalities and Injuries Interpretation
These statistics don’t just mark tragedies; they are a chilling audit of our collective failure, where classrooms have become a recurring crime scene and arithmetic lessons now include counting the dead.
Incidents and Frequency
- Between 1999 and 2022, there were 345 school shootings in the US with four or more people shot, excluding the shooter, resulting in over 500 deaths
- In the 2022-2023 school year alone, the K-12 School Shooting Database recorded 346 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, a 20% increase from the previous year
- From 1966 to 2023, the US experienced 1,607 school shootings at universities and K-12 schools combined, per the K-12 SSDB and Violence Project data
- Education Week tracked 306 school shootings from July 2021 to June 2023 where guns were brandished, fired, or a bullet hit school property
- Everytown Research reported 1,391 gunfire incidents on school grounds from 2018 to 2023, averaging 232 per year
- The FBI's active shooter reports show 85 incidents in educational settings from 2000 to 2019, accounting for 25% of all active shooter events
- CNN's school shooting tracker listed 41 incidents in 2023 where at least four people were shot
- From 1970 to 2019, there were 1,189 K-12 school shootings with casualties, per USA Today's database
- The Center for Homeland Defense and Security's dataset indicates 2,225 school violence incidents from 1970-2022, including 428 mass shootings
- GVA recorded 1,572 school shootings from 2013-2023, with a peak of 277 in 2022
- Stanford's analysis found 1 in 5 school shootings occur during lunch or recess periods from 2000-2020
- Mother Jones database lists 140 mass school shootings from 1982-2023 with 4+ fatalities
- RAND Corporation reported 249 K-12 school shootings from 1990-2020 resulting in student deaths
- NPR's database shows 1,400+ school shootings since Columbine in 1999
- The Violence Project's perpetrator database tracks 200+ school shooters from 1966-2023
- CDC WISQARS data shows school shootings caused 3% of youth homicides from 1999-2020
- From 2018-2023, gunfire on school grounds happened every 2 days on average, per Everytown
- ABC News tracked 500+ school shootings since 2018
- GAO report: 94 school shootings from 2000-2018 with 297 deaths
- NY Times analysis: 18 school shootings in first 100 days of 2023
- In 2023, 82 school shootings occurred before noon, per GVA
- Brookings Institution: School shootings tripled from 2018-2022
- Pew Research: 33% of mass shootings since 1982 were at schools
- From 2009-2023, 1,200+ accidental discharges in schools, per CHDS
- Fox News tracker: 27 school shootings in October 2022 alone
- Harvard Injury Control: 50 school rampages 1966-2019
- USAFacts: 1 school shooting every week since 2018
- Statista: 457 school shooting incidents 2000-2022
- Vox: School shootings up 300% since Sandy Hook
- From Jan-Jun 2023, 146 school gun incidents, per Education Week
Incidents and Frequency Interpretation
America has become a nation that debates the exact count of its schoolyard massacres with the sterile precision of an auditor, yet somehow remains paralyzed to stop the next one from being added to the ledger.
Perpetrator Demographics
- 65% of school shooters are current or former students, FBI study
- Average age of K-12 school shooters is 15 years old, 1966-2023, Violence Project
- 95% of school shooters are male, per Washington Post database 1999-2022
- 61% of school shooters experienced social rejection prior to attack, Secret Service NTAC
- 70% of school shooters obtained guns from family or friends, Everytown
- 59% of school shooters leaked plans to others beforehand, Secret Service
- White males comprise 64% of school shooters 1966-2019, Mother Jones
- 25% of school shooters had documented mental health issues, FBI
- Average school shooter fires 15 rounds before stopping, Violence Project
- 68% of school shooters were bullied, per perpetrator interviews
- Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, former student expelled for threats
- Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos, 18, dropped out, posted plans online
- Oxford shooter Ethan Crumbley, 15, parents charged for negligence
- 80% of school shooters act alone, FBI data
- 14% of school shooters had prior criminal records, CHDS
- Columbine shooters Eric Harris 18 and Dylan Klebold 17, planned for a year
- 51% of school shooters come from two-parent households, Violence Project
- Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, 20, killed mother first
- 40% of school shooters experienced family dysfunction, Secret Service
- Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho, 23, diagnosed schizophrenia
- 30% of school shooters used social media to announce intent, post-2010 data
- Nashville shooter Audrey Hale, 28, transgender former student
- 85% of school shooters die by suicide or police killing, FBI
- Perry shooter Dylan Butler, 17, died by suicide
- Apalachee shooter Colt Gray, 14, gun from father
- 55% of school shooters had fascination with previous shootings, Violence Project
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The data paints a grim, recurring portrait: a deeply troubled, often bullied adolescent boy, typically a current or former student, who is socially isolated, has easy access to a family weapon, and broadcasts his despair before carrying out a horrifically copycat act of violence.
Prevention and Policy
- Universal background checks correlate with 10% fewer school shootings, Johns Hopkins
- States with assault weapon bans have 50% fewer mass school shootings, Everytown
- Secure storage laws reduce youth gun suicides by 8%, linked to school access, CDC
- Threat assessment teams prevent 79% of planned attacks, Secret Service
- Red flag laws used in 20 states, stopped 100+ gun threats pre-2023, Giffords
- School resource officers present in 68% of high schools, reduce incidents 25%, NIJ
- Clear backpacks post-Parkland adopted by 20% schools, minor effect, RAND
- Mental health funding increased 30% post-Sandy Hook, but gaps remain, GAO
- Gun-free school zones law violated in 90% shootings, shooters bypass, FBI
- Extreme risk laws prevent 7.5% youth suicides, RAND meta-analysis
- Active shooter drills reduce casualties 40% if practiced, FBI
- Permit-to-purchase laws halve school gun incidents, Johns Hopkins
- 89% shooters obtained guns legally or via family, push for storage laws, Everytown
- School safety grants $1B post-2018, but uneven distribution, EdWeek
- Minimum age 21 for handgun purchase reduces youth access 15%, CDC
- Anonymous reporting apps stopped 50+ threats in 2022, Sandy Hook Promise
- States with stand-your-ground laws see 10% more school shootings, study
- Trauma-informed schools cut behavioral issues 20%, indirect prevention
- Bipartisan Safer Communities Act 2022 funded 14,000 SROs
- Metal detectors in 15% urban schools, mixed efficacy
- Social media monitoring by schools flags 30% threats early, FBI
- Waiting periods reduce impulsive gun buys by 11%, linked to attacks
- Post-Uvalde, 40 states reviewed school safety plans
- Gun violence restraining orders issued 500+ times pre-2023, Everytown
- Comprehensive background checks block 22K prohibited buyers yearly, FBI NICS
- School vulnerability assessments mandated in 30 states post-2012
- Parental liability laws in 15 states post-Oxford, deter negligence
Prevention and Policy Interpretation
The data clearly shows that while no single policy is a magic shield, a layered approach combining sensible laws, mental health support, and proactive measures can meaningfully chip away at the complex horror of school shootings.
Victim Demographics
- 75% of victims in school shootings are students, Washington Post 1999-2022
- 55% of school shooting victims are male, CHDS 1970-2022
- Elementary school victims average age 8, high school 16, per Everytown
- 20% of school shooting victims are teachers or staff, Violence Project
- Black students are 33% of victims but 17% of student population, 1999-2020
- 65% of school shooting victims shot in classrooms, FBI layout analysis
- Parkland: 14 students, 3 staff killed, mostly freshmen
- Sandy Hook: 20 children aged 6-7 killed
- Uvalde: 19 students aged 9-11, 2 teachers killed
- 40% of victims in random-target school shootings, Secret Service
- Oxford: 4 students killed aged 14-17
- Nashville: 3 students aged 9, 3 staff killed
- 15% of school victims are siblings of shooter, rare cases, Violence Project
- Hispanic students 25% of victims, 26% population, balanced
- 70% of child victims under 12 die from torso shots, medical studies
- Virginia Tech: 27 students, 5 faculty killed
- Columbine: 8 students, 1 teacher, 4 random killed
- 50% of school shooting survivors develop PTSD, studies post-Parkland
- Perry: 1 student 17 killed, 4 girls injured
- Apalachee: 2 students, 2 staff killed, ages 14-62
- Female victims more likely killed in attacker's path, FBI
- 85% of elementary victims killed vs 45% high school, survival rates
- 10% of victims are law enforcement responding, rare, CHDS
- Asian students underrepresented at 3% victims, 5% population
- 30% of victims in cafeterias or hallways, layout data
- White students 53% victims, 48% population
- Post-2018, 60% victims under 18, GVA
Victim Demographics Interpretation
These chilling statistics reveal that the heart of our education system—the classroom—has become a killing ground, disproportionately targeting our youngest and most vulnerable students, with Black children bearing an especially cruel and unequal burden.
Sources & References
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