Select a subgroup characteristic from the drop-down menu below to view relevant text and figures.
1 A school-associated violent death is defined as “a homicide, suicide, or legal intervention death (involving a law enforcement officer) in which the fatal injury occurred on the campus of a functioning elementary or secondary school in the United States,” while the victim was on the way to or from regular sessions at school, or while the victim was attending or traveling to or from an official school-sponsored event. Victims include students as well as nonstudents and staff members.
NOTE: “At school” includes on the property of a functioning elementary or secondary school, on the way to or from regular sessions at school, and while attending or traveling to or from a school-sponsored event. The term “at school” is comparable in meaning to the term “school-associated.” All data are reported for the school year, defined as July 1 through June 30. Data from 1999–2000 onward are subject to change until law enforcement reports have been obtained and interviews with school and law enforcement officials have been completed. The details learned during the interviews can occasionally change the classification of a case.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1992–2020 School-Associated Violent Death Surveillance System (SAVD-SS) (partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Students), previously unpublished tabulation (December 2022). See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 228.10.
NOTE: “School shootings” include all incidents in which a gun is brandished or fired or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims (including zero), time, day of the week, or reason (e.g., planned attack, accidental, domestic violence, gang-related). All data are reported for the school year, defined as July 1 through June 30. Data in this figure were generated using a database that aims to compile information on school shootings from publicly available sources into a single comprehensive resource. For information on database methodology, see K–12 School Shooting Database: Research Methodology (https://www.chds.us/sssc/resources/uploads/2020/09/CHDS-K12-SSDB-Research-Methods-Sept-2020.pdf). Due to adjustments made to the learning mode (in-person, remote, or hybrid) during the coronavirus pandemic, caution should be used when comparing data since 2019–20 with those from earlier years. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Defense, Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security, School Shooting Safety Compendium, internal data files. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 228.12.
1 The elementary and secondary schools count includes one active shooter incident at a county board of education meeting.
2 The elementary and secondary schools count includes one active shooter incident at a city school board meeting.
NOTE: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2014 and 2015, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2018, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2019, Active Shooter Incidents: 20-Year Review 2000–2019, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2020, and Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021, retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 228.15.
1 Includes one active shooter incident at a county board of education meeting.
2 Includes one active shooter incident at a city school board meeting.
NOTE: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2014 and 2015, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2018, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2019, Active Shooter Incidents: 20-Year Review 2000–2019, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2020, and Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021, retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 228.15.
1 A shooter’s gender is categorized by their gender identity at the time of the attack.
NOTE: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2014 and 2015, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2018, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2019, Active Shooter Incidents: 20-Year Review 2000–2019, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2020, and Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021, retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 228.16.
1 Active shooter incidents are reported by calendar year, while other incidents in this indicator are reported by school year (July 1 to June 30).
2 A legal intervention death is defined as a death caused by a law enforcement agent in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest a lawbreaker, suppressing a disturbance, maintaining order, or engaging in another legal action.
3 Education Week. (2020, March 6). Map: Coronavirus and School Closures in 2019–2020. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures-in-2019-2020/2020/03.
4 The recorded number of deaths differs across data sources presented in this indicator due to differences in the definitions of incidents included in each source. For definitions of these incidents, see the glossary entries for school-associated violent death, school shootings (School Shooting Safety Compendium), and active shooter incident.
5 Data are subject to change until interviews with school and law enforcement officials have been completed. The details learned during the interviews can occasionally change the classification of a case.
6 Also defined as July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
7 Total youth suicides exclude self-inflicted deaths among 5- to 9-year-olds. Total youth suicides include only persons ages 10 and over because determining suicidal intent in younger children can be difficult. For more information, see Crepeau-Hobson, F. (2010). The Psychological Autopsy and Determination of Child Suicides: A Survey of Medical Examiners. Archives of Suicide Research, 14(1): 24–34. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13811110903479011.
8 In this indicator, the term “at school” is comparable in meaning to the term “school-associated.”
9 Single incidents occurring at school with a large number of school-age victims could result in large variations in the number of youth homicides at school between two years. Please use caution when making comparisons over time.
10 Due to school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, caution should be used when comparing 2019–20 and 2020–21 data with data from other years.
11 Other known situations include “Indiscriminate shooting” (12 incidents, 4 percent), “Suicide or attempted suicide” (7 incidents, 2 percent), “Hostage standoff” (2 incidents, 1 percent), and “Psychosis” (1 incident, less than 1 percent).
12 Indicates that an argument or fight occurred between the shooter and victim prior to the shooting.
13 Indicates that shots were fired by a person in a vehicle at people or another vehicle on school property.
14 Indicates that shots were fired during a robbery, sale or exchange of illegal drugs, trespassing, theft of property, or exchange of stolen property.
15 Indicates that there was no intent to fire the weapon (e.g., showing off gun and it went off; gun in backpack went off).
16 Indicates that shots were fired to cause damage to the school building or vehicles on school property without intent to cause injury.
17 Blair, J. P., and Schweit, K. W. (2014). A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013. Texas State University and U.S. Department of Justice. Washington DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved February 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf/view.
18 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Active Shooter Incidents 20-Year Review, 2000-2019, retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-resources.
19 The other locations coded for were government, open space, residence, healthcare, and house of worship.
20 For information on the definition of “school shootings” used by the SSSC, see K–12 School Shooting Database: Research Methodology. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.chds.us/sssc/resources/uploads/2020/09/CHDS-K12-SSDB-Research-Methods-Sept-2020.pdf.
21 Number of casualties excludes active shooters.