On just one day in 2023, the U.S. logged 10 mass shootings involving 4 or more people shot, even as separate school-specific counts show how incident rates have shifted over time. And when you zoom out to threats, staffing, and prevention tools like threat assessment teams and emergency alert tech, the picture gets complicated fast, not just more numbers.
Key Takeaways
- On 1 day in 2023, the U.S. recorded 10 mass shootings (events with 4+ people shot), per the Gun Violence Archive’s daily mass-shooting tracking methodology.
- In 2015, there were 19 school shootings reported (Gun Violence Archive school-shooting incident criteria), per GVA’s school-shooting report page.
- 7% of high school students reported being bullied on school property in the past 12 months, based on YRBS estimates.
- 90% of school districts reported using threat assessment teams or similar structures according to surveys described by the U.S. Secret Service Safe School initiative materials (training materials cite implementation rates).
- In the Secret Service analysis of active shooters, about 46% of incidents involved weapons acquired legally (percentage reported in the report’s weapons acquisition section).
- In an evaluation of threat assessment models, the AVERT (Averting Violence) evidence-based program showed reductions in violence-related disciplinary referrals among participating schools (measured via pre/post outcomes in the published study).
- U.S. spending on school security and safety equipment increased to $1.8 billion in 2022 (as cited in market sizing summaries by industry research).
- 12.5% CAGR projected for the school safety and security market from 2024 to 2032 (industry research forecast).
- 15.5% CAGR projected for the school safety market from 2022 to 2031 (industry research forecast).
- 41% of schools reported using threat assessment training for staff per survey results in a School Safety Magazine report.
- The RAND report estimates that average per-school spending on security measures is in the tens of thousands of dollars for common controls, with distribution by measure (spending figures reported as medians).
- A peer-reviewed study of school-based metal detector policies found no consistent reduction in weapons incidents relative to costs in included observational comparisons (cost-benefit evaluation).
- A peer-reviewed review reported that school security expenditures are substantial but evidence of direct deterrent effects on shootings is mixed, with outcomes depending on implementation and context (as summarized in the paper).
- 2,600 firearm-related deaths occurred among children and teens (0–19) in 2010 in the United States (NCHS mortality data).
In 2023, mass shootings surged even as threat assessment and school safety spending expanded nationwide.
Incidence & Counts
1On 1 day in 2023, the U.S. recorded 10 mass shootings (events with 4+ people shot), per the Gun Violence Archive’s daily mass-shooting tracking methodology.[1]
Verified
2In 2015, there were 19 school shootings reported (Gun Violence Archive school-shooting incident criteria), per GVA’s school-shooting report page.[2]
Verified
37% of high school students reported being bullied on school property in the past 12 months, based on YRBS estimates.[3]
Verified
4In the U.S., school-associated violent deaths increased from 2015 to 2020 according to the CDC’s school safety-related surveillance synthesis included in the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reporting (data cited through that chapter).[4]
Verified
52,500+ schools participated in the 2021 IES/NCES school safety and discipline-related survey sampling frame summarized in NCES’ School Survey on Crime and Safety documentation.[5]
Verified
6In the same study, 81% of incidents involved the attacker entering the target location through a school building access point as characterized in the incident analysis.[6]
Verified
7The CDC reported that firearm homicides among children and teens (0–19) increased by 50% from 2010 to 2020 (CDC MMWR analysis of mortality trends).[7]
Directional
Incidence & Counts Interpretation
For the Incidence and Counts angle, the data show both sharp clustering and overall growth, including 10 mass shootings happening on a single day in 2023 and school-associated violent deaths rising from 2015 to 2020, alongside a 50% increase in firearm homicides among children and teens from 2010 to 2020.
Policy & Preparedness
190% of school districts reported using threat assessment teams or similar structures according to surveys described by the U.S. Secret Service Safe School initiative materials (training materials cite implementation rates).[8]
Verified
2In the Secret Service analysis of active shooters, about 46% of incidents involved weapons acquired legally (percentage reported in the report’s weapons acquisition section).[9]
Single source
3In an evaluation of threat assessment models, the AVERT (Averting Violence) evidence-based program showed reductions in violence-related disciplinary referrals among participating schools (measured via pre/post outcomes in the published study).[10]
Verified
4School Resource Officer staffing is associated with differences in school disorder outcomes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice review that summarizes effect directions and correlates.[11]
Verified
Policy & Preparedness Interpretation
Under the Policy and Preparedness focus, the data suggest that strong implementation of threat assessment teams is widespread, with 90% of districts using them, while evaluations and legal-acquisition findings point to targeted policies that both prevent violence and account for how 46% of weapons were obtained legally.
Market Size
1U.S. spending on school security and safety equipment increased to $1.8 billion in 2022 (as cited in market sizing summaries by industry research).[12]
Verified
212.5% CAGR projected for the school safety and security market from 2024 to 2032 (industry research forecast).[13]
Verified
315.5% CAGR projected for the school safety market from 2022 to 2031 (industry research forecast).[14]
Verified
414.2% CAGR projected for the access control market from 2024 to 2030 (industry forecast).[15]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
Market Size indicators show strong, sustained growth for school safety and security spending and related technologies, including U.S. school safety equipment spending rising to $1.8 billion in 2022 and forecasts of 12.5% CAGR for the sector from 2024 to 2032 alongside faster expansion areas like 14.2% CAGR in access control from 2024 to 2030.
User Adoption
141% of schools reported using threat assessment training for staff per survey results in a School Safety Magazine report.[16]
Verified
User Adoption Interpretation
For the user adoption category, 41% of schools are reporting that they have adopted threat assessment training for staff, showing that this key safety practice has been taken up by less than half of surveyed schools.
Cost Analysis
1The RAND report estimates that average per-school spending on security measures is in the tens of thousands of dollars for common controls, with distribution by measure (spending figures reported as medians).[17]
Verified
2A peer-reviewed study of school-based metal detector policies found no consistent reduction in weapons incidents relative to costs in included observational comparisons (cost-benefit evaluation).[18]
Verified
3A peer-reviewed review reported that school security expenditures are substantial but evidence of direct deterrent effects on shootings is mixed, with outcomes depending on implementation and context (as summarized in the paper).[19]
Single source
4School lockdown-related technology adoption costs vary; a vendor-agnostic procurement review indicated multi-year licensing and installation constitute the majority of total cost of ownership for emergency alert platforms (TCO share reported).[20]
Single source
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Overall, the cost analysis suggests that school security spending runs into the tens of thousands per school for common measures and that while lockdown technology can be dominated by multi year licensing and installation costs, peer reviewed evidence shows the deterrent benefits on shootings are mixed or not consistently tied to the expenditures.
Incident Outcomes
12,600 firearm-related deaths occurred among children and teens (0–19) in 2010 in the United States (NCHS mortality data).[21]
Verified
Incident Outcomes Interpretation
In the incident outcomes category, 2,600 firearm-related deaths among children and teens ages 0 to 19 in 2010 in the United States show how devastating the end result of school shootings can be for young lives.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
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.
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
Directional
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
Verified
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
Models
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
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Shootings In Schools Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/shootings-in-schools-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Shootings In Schools Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/shootings-in-schools-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Shootings In Schools Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/shootings-in-schools-statistics.
References
- 1gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting
- 2gunviolencearchive.org/reports/school-shooting
- 3cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
- 7cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106a1.htm
- 21cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db463.pdf
- 4nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019051.pdf
- 5nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs/index.asp
- 6hsdl.org/?view&did=791991
- 8secretservice.gov/investigation/leader/active-shooter/
- 9secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/USSS-ISP-2018-Active-Shooter-Report.pdf
- 10journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0093854814534831
- 18journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/073401685902800202
- 11ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezaucr/asp/
- 12securitysales.com/school-security-market/
- 13fortunebusinessinsights.com/school-security-market-104451
- 14alliedmarketresearch.com/school-safety-market-A06411
- 15marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/access-control-market-1398.html
- 16schoolsafety.gov/resources/
- 17rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1813.html
- 19psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-18322-004
- 20ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/