Mass Shootings in America
The Violence Project defines a mass shooting as an attack in public, excluding domestic shootings and those “attributable to underlying criminal activity.” CNN defines a mass shooting as one with four or more injuries or deaths.
Although mass shootings only make up a small fraction of gun violence deaths per year, they are still a terrifying issue due to the fact that they can occur anywhere and at any time. Compared to domestic and gang violence shootings, mass shootings are usually less personal and the victims are usually complete strangers chosen at random.
Some of America's mass shooters had violent histories in the past, however, others showed absolutely no signs of mental illness or violent tendencies. The majority of shooters are male, and the few that are female usually partner with male shooters.
The debate of guns being too accessible is brought up after every mass shooting event. As of 2015, there are more guns than people in the U.S. The data from the Mother Jone’s database shows that of the 143 guns possessed by the killers, more than three quarters were obtained legally.
Mass Shootings in America Per State
America is one of the leading countries in mass shootings in the world. While the United States' gun regulations vary by state, many mass shooters obtain their weapons legally. The following data below was taken from the Mother Jone's open-source database that documents mass shootings around the country.
The leading states for mass shootings in America are California, Texas, Florida and Colorado. Nevada leads the country with the most victims, followed by California, Texas and Florida.
Mass Shootings Per Year Since 1982
There has been a steady increase over the years in mass shootings since the first reported mass shooting from the database in 1982. As mass shootings increase per year, the victims per shooting slowly become higher. There was a dramatic drop in mass shootings in 2020 when the pandemic forced people to quarantine and practice safety measures. There has been more mass shootings in the first four months of 2021 than in the entirety of 2020 due to safety regulations being lifted.
Victims By Location
More than half of all mass shootings occurred at a school or workplace. About 30 cases took place in locations such as: shopping malls, restaurants, and religious and government buildings. The data below shows the total number of victims per location. Military and school mass shootings had the most recovered victims, however, workplace and religious mass shootings had much higher fatality rates.
Deadliest Mass Shootings
Take a closer look at some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history.
Charleston Church Shooting
Columbine Shooting
Las Vegas Shooting
El Paso Walmart Shooting
Parkland High School Shooting
Pulse Nightclub Shooting
Sandy Hook Elemenentary Shooting
Fort Hood Shooting
Read what people are saying:
Chris Coons
Senator"Another eight lives lost to gun violence. This is the 45th mass shooting in the United States since March 16. We must end this epidemic. We must act to save lives."
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Fred Guttenberf
Father of a Mass Shooting Victim"Last night was latest mass shooting in America. More people dead. This time a hotel in Wisconsin, a state with no gun safety measures, not even background checks & waiting periods. It is time for the business community to join me in recognizing...""
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Shannon Watts
Author and Activist"The shooting in Orange, California, tonight is the 9th mass shooting in 2021 and the 6th mass shooting this month."
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