U.S.: School Shootings, by victim count
School massacreFatalitiesInjured
Virginia Tech massacre (Blacksburg, Virginia, 2007)3323
Robb Elementary school massacre (Uvalde, Texas, 2022)2117
Columbine High School massacre (Littleton, Colorado, 1999)1324
Stockton schoolyard shooting (Stockton, California, 1989)629
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting (Parkland, Florida, 2018)1717
Thurston High School shooting (Springfield, Oregon, 1998)425
Sandy Hook Elementary massacre (Newtown, Connecticut, 2012)272
Northern Illinois University shooting (DeKalb, Illinois, 2008)521
Santa Fe High School shooting (Santa Fe, Texas, 2018)1013
Isla Vista mass murder (Santa Barbara, California, 2014)613
Umpqua Community College shooting (Roseburg, Oregon, 2015)99
Red Lake massacre (Red Lake, Minnesota, 2005)105
Westside Middle School killings (Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1998)510
Lindhurst High School shooting (Olivehurst, California, 1992)410
Nashville religious school schooting (Nashville, Tennessee, 2023)66
Oxford High School shooting (Oxford, Michigan, 2021)47
Amish school shooting (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2006)65
Oikos University killings (Oakland, California, 2012)73
Michigan State University shooting (East Lansing, Michigan, 2023)35
University of Iowa shooting (Iowa City, Iowa, 1991)61
Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting (Marysville, Washington, 2014)51
University of Virginia shooting (Charlottesville, Virginia, 2022)32
UNLV shooting (Las Vegas, Nevada, 2023)31
  • Region: United States
  • Time period: 1982 to Dec 6, 2023
  • Published: Dec 2023

Data Analysis and Insights

Updated: Mar 28, 2024 | Published by: Statistico | About Us | Data sources

Highest number of fatalities and injuries

Virginia Tech massacre holds the record for the highest number of fatalities at 33 and injuries at 23, showcasing the devastating impact of this tragedy on the community.

Significant incidents in the 21st century

Robb Elementary school massacre and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting are among the deadliest in the 21st century, with 21 and 17 fatalities respectively, indicating an alarming trend of increased violence in schools.

Columbine's long-lasting impact

Columbine High School massacre, despite occurring in 1999, remains one of the most infamous, with 13 fatalities and 24 injuries, highlighting its lasting effect on school safety policies and public consciousness.

High injury counts in earlier shootings

Stockton schoolyard shooting in 1989 had a notably high number of injuries at 29, despite a lower fatality count of 6, underscoring the varied impact of such events beyond just the loss of life.

Recent years' tragic events

Nashville religious school shooting in 2023 and Michigan State University shooting in the same year resulted in 6 and 3 fatalities respectively, indicating that school shootings remain a critical issue in contemporary society.

Variation in incident locations

School shootings have occurred across a diverse range of settings, from elementary schools to universities, with incidents like Sandy Hook Elementary massacre and University of Virginia shooting showing the widespread nature of this violence.

Decades of distress

The data spans from the Stockton schoolyard shooting in 1989 to the UNLV shooting in 2023, illustrating over three decades of school-related shootings in the U.S., with fatalities and injuries affecting numerous communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which incident holds the record for the highest number of fatalities and injuries?

The Virginia Tech massacre holds the record with 33 fatalities and 23 injuries.

What are some of the deadliest school shooting incidents in the 21st century?

Robb Elementary school massacre and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting are among the deadliest with 21 and 17 fatalities respectively.

Terms and Definitions

This refers to incidents where firearms are discharged inside an educational setting, such as within a school or on a school campus. The incidents involving unarmed students, teachers, and other school staff, typically resulting in injury or loss of life.

This is the total number of individuals who have been harmed physically or psychologically in a specific incident or event. Victim count usually includes those who were injured as well as those who were killed.

Fatalities refer to the number of individuals who lose their lives as a result of a specific event or incident, such as a school shooting.

A perpetrator is the individual or group of individuals who carry out a harmful act such as a school shooting. The perpetrator is responsible for the harm inflicted during the event.

A firearm is a weapon that is designed to hurl a projectile at high speed by the gas produced by chemical reactions within a confined space. Firearms used in school shootings may range from handguns to rifles.

This is a specific type of shooting in which four or more individuals are shot and/or killed in a single event at the same general time and location, not including the shooter.

An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. These situations are typically over within 10 to 15 minutes, often before law enforcement can arrive on the scene.

Gun control laws refer to regulations and policies that govern the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms. The intent of these laws is to reduce gun violence, including shootings in educational settings.
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