The U.S. recorded 10 mass shootings on a single day in 2023. School-associated violent deaths rose between 2015 and 2020. Firearm homicides among children and teens increased by 50 percent from 2010 to 2020.
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.
Related reading
01 · Category
Incidence & Counts7 stats
01
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.
02
In 2015, there were 19 school shootings reported (Gun Violence Archive school-shooting incident criteria), per GVA’s school-shooting report page.
03
7% of high school students reported being bullied on school property in the past 12 months, based on YRBS estimates.
04
In 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).
05
2,500+ 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.
06
In 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.
07
The CDC reported that firearm homicides among children and teens (0–19) increased by 50% from 2010 to 2020 (CDC MMWR analysis of mortality trends).
Interpretation
Incidence & Counts Interpretation
Across the Incidence and Counts measures, the data point to a persistent though uneven pattern of school violence, such as 19 school shootings in 2015 and a peak of 10 mass shootings in a single day in 2023, alongside baseline risk signals like 7% of high school students reporting bullying on school property in the past year.
02 · Category
Policy & Preparedness4 stats
01
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).
02
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).
03
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).
04
School 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.
Interpretation
Policy & Preparedness Interpretation
For the Policy and Preparedness angle, the most striking trend is that 90% of districts report using threat assessment teams, yet meaningful prevention likely depends on pairing such structures with evidence based approaches like AVERT, which has shown reductions in violence related incidents, and on careful staffing choices such as differing outcomes tied to School Resource Officer presence.
03 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
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).
02
12.5% CAGR projected for the school safety and security market from 2024 to 2032 (industry research forecast).
03
15.5% CAGR projected for the school safety market from 2022 to 2031 (industry research forecast).
04
14.2% CAGR projected for the access control market from 2024 to 2030 (industry forecast).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From the market size perspective, U.S. school safety spending reached $1.8 billion in 2022 and forecasts show strong double digit growth through the 2020s, with CAGR projections ranging from 12.5% to 15.5% for school safety and 14.2% for access control, signaling a rapidly expanding security equipment and services market.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
41% of schools reported using threat assessment training for staff per survey results in a School Safety Magazine report.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
From a user adoption perspective, 41% of schools reported using threat assessment training for staff, indicating that while adoption is underway, it is still not universal.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
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).
02
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).
03
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).
04
School 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).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Across cost analysis findings, per school security spending is often in the tens of thousands of dollars and, despite investments like multi year licensing and installation for lockdown technology, peer reviewed evidence still shows no consistent reduction in weapons incidents relative to these costs.
06 · Category
Incident Outcomes1 stats
01
2,600 firearm-related deaths occurred among children and teens (0–19) in 2010 in the United States (NCHS mortality data).
Interpretation
Incident Outcomes Interpretation
In the incident outcomes category, the 2,600 firearm-related deaths among children and teens aged 0 to 19 in 2010 in the United States show just how severe the fatalities associated with school shootings can be.
report visual · Key figures
School safety and violence trends
Reported violence involving schools rose over time, alongside high adoption of threat-assessment approaches.
2015
In the U.S., school-associated violent deaths increased from 2015 to 2020 according to the CDC’s school safety-related s
90%
90% of school districts reported using threat assessment teams or similar structures according to surveys described by t
1
On 1 day in 2023, the U.S. recorded 10 mass shootings (events with 4+ people shot), per the Gun Violence Archive’s daily
source-verifiednces.ed.gov · secretservice.gov · gunviolencearchive.org2023
Reference
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.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)