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Mass shootings in the United States

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The 2017 Las Vegas shooting that killed 60 people is the deadliest mass shooting in American history

Mass shootings are events where there are many victims of firearm-related violence.[1][2][3] There is no exact definition for a "mass shooting". One definition is that a mass shooting is an act of public firearm violence in which a shooter kills at least four victims. Gang killings, domestic violence, or terrorist acts by an organization are not included. With this definition, one study found that about one-third of the world's public mass shootings between 1966 and 2012 (90 of 292 events) happened in the United States.[4] The Washington Post recorded 163 mass shootings in the United States between 1967 and June 2019.[5]

Statistics

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The United States has had more mass shootings than any other country.[6][7][8][9][10] Shooters generally either die by suicide afterward, are arrested, or are killed by police officers or civilians.[11][12]

Mass shootings are responsible for under 0.2% of homicides in the country between 2000 and 2016.[13]

According to a March 2022 report, over mass shootings in the last 40 years, in 52% of mass shootings in the United States the shooter was white, 16% were African American, and 8% were Latino.[14] In 96% of mass shootings the shooter was male, in 2% they were female, and in 2% there were both male and female shooters.[15]

Weapons used

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Many types of guns have been used in mass shootings in the United States, including semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, revolvers, and shotguns.[16] Of the 172 events from 1966 to 2019 that are seen as mass public shootings in the U.S., handguns were used in 77.2% of cases and semi-automatic rifles in 25.1% of cases.[17] From 1966 to 2019, about 77% of mass shooters in the U.S. legally bought the weapons used in the attacks.[18]

Mental health

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In a study, experts said that roughly one-third of acts of mass shootings since the 1990s were committed by people with a "serious mental illness". However, the study also said that people with a serious mental illness are responsible for less than 4% of all the violent acts in the United States.[19] The American Psychiatric Association (APA) said that gun violence is a public health crisis and that a majority of people with mental illness are not violent and "are far more likely to be victims of violent crime."[20][21]

In February 2021, a survey published by psychiatrists at Columbia University found that in 1,315 out of 14,785 mass murders around the world, personal motives were the main cause. In only 11% of these 1,315 murders and 8% of these shootings, the murderer had a serious mental illness.[22][23][24]

List of deadliest mass shootings since 1949

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Rank Incident Year Location Deaths Injuries Type of firearm(s) used Ref(s)
1 Las Vegas shooting 2017 Paradise, Nevada 60 (plus the perp.)[fn 1] 867 approx. (413+ from gunfire or shrapnel) Semi-automatic rifles (some outfitted with bump stocks), bolt-action rifle, and revolver [25][26][27]
2 Orlando nightclub shooting † 2016 Orlando, Florida 49 (plus the perp.) 58 (53 from gunfire) Semi-automatic rifle and pistol [25][26]
3 Virginia Tech shooting † 2007 Blacksburg, Virginia 32 (plus the perp.) 23 (17 from gunfire) Semi-automatic pistols [25]
4 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting 2012 Newtown, Connecticut 27 (plus the perp.) 2 Semi-automatic rifle, bolt-action rifle, and pistol [25]
5 Sutherland Springs church shooting 2017 Sutherland Springs, Texas 26 (plus the perp.)[fn 2] 22 Semi-automatic rifle [26][28]
6 Luby's shooting † 1991 Killeen, Texas 23 (plus the perp.) 27 Semi-automatic pistols [25]
El Paso Walmart shooting 2019 El Paso, Texas 23[fn 3] 23 Semi-automatic rifle [29][30][31][32]
8 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre † 1984 San Diego, California 22 (plus the perp.)[fn 2] 19 Semi-automatic carbine, pistol, and shotgun [25]
9 Robb Elementary School shooting 2022 Uvalde, Texas 21 (plus the perp.) 18 Semi-automatic rifle [33][34]
10 Lewiston shootings 2023 Lewiston, Maine 18 13 Unknown [35]
11 University of Texas tower shooting † 1966 Austin, Texas 17 (plus the perp.)[fn 2][fn 4] 31 Bolt-action rifle, semi-automatic carbine, revolver, semi-automatic pistols, and pump-action shotgun [25]
Parkland high school shooting 2018 Parkland, Florida 17 17 Semi-automatic rifle [36]
13 Fort Hood shooting 2009 Killeen, Texas 14[fn 2] 32 (plus the perp.) Semi-automatic pistol and revolver [37][38]
San Bernardino attack 2015 San Bernardino, California 14 (plus both perps.) 24 Semi-automatic rifles [25][26]
Edmond post office shooting 1986 Edmond, Oklahoma 14 (plus the perp.) 6 Semi-automatic pistols [25]
16 Columbine High School massacre 1999 Columbine, Colorado 13 (plus both perps.) 24 (21 from gunfire) Semi-automatic carbine, semi-automatic pistol, and shotguns [39]
Binghamton shooting 2009 Binghamton, New York 13 (plus the perp.) 4 Semi-automatic pistols [40]
Camden shootings † 1949 Camden, New Jersey 13 3 (2 from gunfire) Semi-automatic pistol [41][42]
Wilkes-Barre shootings 1982 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 13 1 Semi-automatic rifle [43][44][45]
Wah Mee massacre 1983 Seattle, Washington 13 1 Semi-automatic pistol(s) and/or revolver(s)[fn 5] [46]
21 Aurora theater shooting 2012 Aurora, Colorado 12 70 (58 from gunfire) Semi-automatic rifle, pistol, and shotgun [47][26][48]
Thousand Oaks shooting 2018 Thousand Oaks, California 12 (plus the perp.)[fn 6] 16 (1 from gunfire) Semi-automatic pistol [49][50]
Washington Navy Yard shooting 2013 Washington, D.C. 12 (plus the perp.) 8 (3 from gunfire) Semi-automatic pistol and shotgun [51][52]
Virginia Beach shooting 2019 Virginia Beach, Virginia 12 (plus the perp.) 4 Semi-automatic pistols [53]
25 Monterey Park shooting 2023 Monterey Park, California 11 (plus the perp.) 9 Semi-automatic pistol [54][55]
Jacksonville shooting 1990 Jacksonville, Florida 11 (plus the perp.) 6 Semi-automatic carbine and revolver [56]
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting 2018 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 11 6 (plus the perp.) Semi-automatic rifle and pistols [57]
Easter Sunday Massacre 1975 Hamilton, Ohio 11 0 Semi-automatic pistols and revolver [58]
29 Santa Fe High School shooting 2018 Santa Fe, Texas 10 13 (plus the accused) Shotgun and revolver [59]
Geneva County shootings 2009 Geneva County, Alabama 10 (plus the perp.) 6 Semi-automatic rifles, revolver, and shotgun [60][61]
Buffalo supermarket shooting 2022 Buffalo, New York 10 3 Semi-automatic rifle [62]
Boulder shooting 2021 Boulder, Colorado 10 1 (plus the accused)[fn 7] Semi-automatic pistols [63][64]
Palm Sunday massacre 1984 Brooklyn, New York 10 0 Semi-automatic pistols [65]

Mass shootings in 2024

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2024 date Location State or territory Dead Injured . Description
November 10 Atlanta (the 6th mass shooting in Atlanta, in 2024) Georgia 0 4 It happened on the southeast side of the city.[66]
November 10 Tuskegee (the 2nd mass shooting in Tuskegee, in 2024) Alabama 1 12 Tuskegee University shooting.[67]

Notes

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  1. ↑ including 2 victims who died due to complications in 2019 and 2020
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The fatality total includes an unborn child.
  3. ↑ including a victim who died due to complications in 2020
  4. ↑ including a victim who died due to complications in 2001
  5. ↑ During the massacre, the perpetrators used three .22 caliber handguns of an unknown type that were never recovered by the authorities.
  6. ↑ One of the victims was killed by stray police gunfire
  7. ↑ The civilian injury was indirect

References

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  1. ↑ Borchers, Callum (October 4, 2017). "The squishy definition of 'mass shooting' complicates media coverage". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2018. ...'mass shooting' is a term without a universally-accepted definition.
  2. ↑ Bjelopera, Jerome (March 18, 2013). "Public Mass Shootings in the United States" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2018. There is no broadly agreed-to, specific conceptualization of this issue, so this report uses its own definition for public mass shootings.
  3. ↑ Greenberg, Jon; Jacobson, Louis; Valverde, Miriam (February 14, 2018). "What we know about mass shootings". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 20, 2018. As noted above, there is no widely accepted definition of mass shootings. People use either broad or restrictive definitions of mass shootings to reinforce their stance on gun control. After the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, Congress defined "mass killings" as three or more homicides in a single incident. The definition was intended to clarify when the U.S. Attorney General could assist state and local authorities in investigations of violent acts and shootings in places of public use.
  4. ↑ Lankford, Adam (2016). "Public Mass Shooters and Firearms: A Cross-National Study of 171 Countries". Violence and Victims. 31 (2): 187–99. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-15-00093. PMID 26822013. S2CID 207266615.
  5. ↑ Berkowitz, Bonnie; Gamio, Lazaro; Lu, Denise; Uhrmacher, Kevin; Lindeman, Todd. "The terrible numbers that grow with each mass shooting". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  6. ↑ "One-Third of Mass Shootings Committed by People with Mental Illness, Study Says".
  7. ↑ Palazzolo, Joe; Flynn, Alexis (October 3, 2015). "U.S. Leads World in Mass Shootings". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ Healy, Melissa (August 24, 2015). "Why the U.S. is No. 1 – in mass shootings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Michaels, Samantha (August 23, 2015). "The United States Has Had More Mass Shootings Than Any Other Country". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  10. ↑ Fox, Kara (March 9, 2018). "How US gun culture compares with the world in five charts". CNN.
  11. ↑ Blair, John Pete; Schweit, Katherine W. (2014), A Study of Active Shooter Incidents, 2000–2013 (PDF), Washington, DC: Texas State University and Federal Bureau of Investigation
  12. ↑ Geberth, V. (July 1993). "Suicide by Cop". Law and Order. 41 (7): 105–109. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Mass shootings are rare – firearm suicides are much more common, and kill more Americans". PBS NewsHour. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  14. ↑ Statista Research Department (March 2, 2022). "Mass shootings by shooter's race in the U.S. 2021". Statista. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ Statista Research Department. "U.S. mass shootings by shooters' gender". Statista. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ Todd, Michael (December 23, 2013). "The Simple Facts About Mass Shootings Aren't Simple at All". Pacific Standard. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Tenuous Connections Involving Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Laws". Violence and Gender. 3 (10): 14–19. 2016. doi:10.1089/vio.2015.0054. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  18. ↑ Glenn Thrush (May 16, 2022). "What Do Most Mass Shooters Have in Common? They Bought Their Guns Legally". New York Times.
  19. ↑ Vestal, Christine (August 8, 2019). "One-Third of Mass Shootings Committed by People With Mental Illness, Study Says". The Pew Charitable Trusts.
  20. ↑ "APA Condemns Loss of Life from Gun Violence, Disputes Link to Mental Illness". www.psychiatry.org. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  21. ↑ "Statement of APA CEO on Gun Violence and Mental Health". www.apa.org. August 5, 2019. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  22. ↑ Brucato, Gary; Appelbaum, Paul S.; Hesson, Hannah; Shea, Eileen A.; Dishy, Gabriella; Lee, Kathryn; Pia, Tyler; Syed, Faizan; Villalobos, Alexandra; Wall, Melanie M.; Lieberman, Jeffrey A.; Girgis, Ragy R. (2021). "Psychotic symptoms in mass shootings v. mass murders not involving firearms: findings from the Columbia mass murder database". Psychological Medicine. 52 (15). Cambridge University Press: 1–9. doi:10.1017/S0033291721000076. PMID 33595428. S2CID 231944742. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  23. ↑ Preidt, Robert (February 25, 2021). "Mental Illness Not a Factor in Most Mass Shootings". WebMD. Internet Brands. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  24. ↑ Ramsland, Katherine (February 26, 2021). "Is There a Link Between Madness and Mass Murder?". Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 25.8 "Deadliest Mass Shootings in Modern US History Fast Facts". CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Blau, Reuven (November 6, 2017). "Texas gunman used same rifle as Las Vegas, Newtown mass shooters". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  27. ↑ Holly Yan; Madison Park (October 3, 2017). "Las Vegas shooting: Bodycam footage shows first response". CNN. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  28. ↑ Carissimo, Justin (November 6, 2017). "26 dead in shooting at church in Sutherland Springs, Texas". CBS News. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  29. ↑ Blankstein, Andrew; Burke, Minyvonne (August 3, 2019). "El Paso shooting: 20 people dead, at least 26 injured, suspect in custody, police say". NBC News. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  30. ↑ Maxouris, Christina; Andone, Dakin; Chavez, Nicole; Levenson, Eric (August 5, 2019). "El Paso shooting death toll rises to 22 in anti-immigrant massacre". CNN. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  31. ↑ "El Paso Shooting Victim Dies Months Later, Death Toll Now 23". The New York Times. April 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Texas Man Pleads Guilty to 90 Federal Hate Crimes and Firearms Violations for August 2019 Mass Shooting at Walmart in el Paso, Texas". February 8, 2023.
  33. ↑ Garcia, Eugene; Lopez-Mills, Dario (2022-05-24). "Texas governor: 15 killed in school shooting; gunman dead". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  34. ↑ "18 students, 3 adults killed in Uvalde school shooting; suspect dead". Dallas News. 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  35. ↑ Winter, Tom (October 25, 2023). "22 dead, dozens wounded in shootings". NBC News. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  36. ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella; Levensen, Eric (February 14, 2018). "At least 17 dead in Florida school shooting, law enforcement says". CNN. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  37. ↑ Cole, Matthew; Thomas, Pierre; Ryan, Jason; Esposito, Richard (November 19, 2009). "'Cop Killer' Gun Used In Ft. Hood Shooting, Officials Said". ABC News. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  38. ↑ Carter, Chelsea J. (August 23, 2013). "Nidal Hasan convicted in Fort Hood shootings". CNN. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Columbine killer has cult of fans long after death". New York Post. February 24, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  40. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (April 3, 2009). "Gunman Kills 13 and Wounds 4 at Binghamton, N.Y., Immigrant Center". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  41. ↑ Berger, Meyer (September 7, 1949). "Veteran Kills 12 in Mad Rampage on Camden Street". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2018. Howard B. Unruh, 28 years old, a mild, soft-spoken veteran of many armored artillery battles in Italy, France, Austria, Belgium and Germany, killed twelve persons with a war souvenir Luger pistol in his home block in East Camden this morning. He wounded four others.
  42. ↑ Sauer, Patrick (October 14, 2015). "The Story of the First Mass Murder in U.S. History". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. He went into his apartment, uncased his German Luger P08, a 9mm pistol he'd purchased at a sporting goods store in Philadelphia for $37.50, and secured it with two clips and 33 loose cartridges.
  43. ↑ Banks v. Horn, 99-9005 (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit October 31, 2001) (“On September 25, 1982 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Banks shot fourteen people with a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, killing thirteen and wounding one.”).
  44. ↑ {{{litigants}}}513 Pa. 318 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 1987) (“In the space of about one hour, appellant shot fourteen people with a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, killing thirteen and wounding one.”).
  45. ↑ Dietz, P.E. (1986). "Mass, serial and sensational homicides". Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. 62 (5): 477–491. PMC 1629267. PMID 3461857. He had purchased equipment and materials of the kind advertised and promoted in these magazines, including a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle...
  46. ↑ Kang, Martha (February 26, 2010). "Wah Mee Massacre prisoner closer to release". KOMO News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  47. ↑ Castillo, Michelle (July 20, 2012). "Colo. shooter purchased guns legally from 3 different stores". CBS News. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  48. ↑ Jacobo, Julia (July 21, 2017). "A look back at the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting 5 years later". ABC News. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  49. ↑ Cook, James (November 8, 2018). "Gunman kills 12 in California bar". BBC News. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  50. ↑ Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Picheta, Rob; Rocha, Veronica; Wagner, Meg; Yeung, Jessie (November 8, 2018). "Mass shooting at California dance bar". CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  51. ↑ Hermann, Peter; Marimow, Ann E. (September 25, 2013). "Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis driven by delusions". Washington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  52. ↑ Madhani, Aamer (July 2, 2015). "What happened in 2013 Navy Yard mass shooting". USA Today. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  53. ↑ Duggan, Paul. "'Suddenly, a kind of hole exploded in my wall.' Pop-pops and then duck for cover". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  54. ↑ Dalton, Andrew (January 22, 2023). "Police: Gunman on the loose after killing 10 near LA". Associated Press. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  55. ↑ Winton, Richard; Park, Jeong; Jany, Libor; Lin, Summer; Ellis, Summer (January 22, 2023). "10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  56. ↑ Florida Gunman Kills 8 And Wounds 6 in Office - New York Times. Nytimes.com (1990-06-19). Retrieved on 2023-06-17.
  57. ↑ Andone, Dakin; Hanna, Jason; Sterling, Joe; Murphy, Paul P. (October 27, 2018). "Hate crime charges filed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 dead". CNN. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  58. ↑ Machi, Vivienne (September 24, 2016). "40 years later, Ruppert family murders still traumatic". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  59. ↑ Andone, Dakin; Allen, Keith; Almasy, Steve (May 18, 2018). "Alleged shooter at Texas high school spared people he liked, court document says". CNN. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  60. ↑ Osunsami, Steve; Carter, Bill; Mooney, Mark; Mcguirt, Mary; Schabner, Dean (March 12, 2009). "Cops Close to Motive in Murderous Rampage". ABC News. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  61. ↑ Dewan, Shaila; Sulzberger, A.G. (March 11, 2009). "Officials Identify Alabama Gunman". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  62. ↑ Gee, Derek (May 14, 2022). "Ten killed in mass shooting at Jefferson Avenue supermarket; officials describe attack as 'hate crime'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  63. ↑ Vera, Amir (March 22, 2021). "Witnesses describe chaos as shooter opened fire in a Colorado grocery store". CNN. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  64. ↑ "Boulder shooting suspect charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder". CNN. 2021-03-23. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  65. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (April 16, 1984). "10 In Brooklyn Are Found Slain Inside A House". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  66. ↑ "4 shot after fight over gun escalates to gunfire in southeast Atlanta". WSB-TV. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  67. ↑ Czachor, Emile Mae (November 10, 2024). "1 killed, 16 injured in shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama". CBS News. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
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