Federal Bureau of Investigation

Active shooter incidents from 2000-2013

Mass 

Casualty 

Shootings

Mass casualty crimes are rare; however, they 

constitute an important subset of homicides 

because they garner a great deal of media 

and policy attention. The exact number of 

these events varies by the definition used, but 

the trend is that these events have increased 

both in terms of frequency as well as the 

number of casualties. While there is no 

comprehensive definition of a mass shooting, 

the U.S. government uses the term ACTIVE

SHOOTER, defined as “an individual actively 

engaged in killing or attempting to kill people 

in a confined and populated area.” Violence 

involving gang or drug activity or killings that 

involve only the shooter’s family members are 

not included. 

NOTE: Hover for data hyperlinks to source material.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Location of Incident:A

House of worship (3.8%)

School property (24.4%)

Business (45.6%)

Open space (9.4%)

Government property, 

non-military (6.9%)

Residence (4.4%)

Health-care facility (2.5%)

Military property (3.1%)

businesses

schools

open spaces

govt (non-military)

residences

houses of worship

military properties

health care facilities

Non-fatal (53.4%)

Fatal (46.6%)

Type of Casualty:A

killed injured

1,043

casualties

not including 

shooter

Of the 63 incidents in which the 

duration was known:

> 69.8% (44 incidents) ended in 5 minutes or less 

> 36.5% (23 incidents) ended in 2 minutes or less

At least 66.9% of all incidents 

ended before police arrived A

160

active shooter

incidents

100

250

50

150

6 4

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

200

11 9 10 10 14 17 8 19

26 21

1

7 20

51 51 46

84

126

86

63

143

86

208

43 29

4

Number of Mass Shooting Incidents and Casualties over Time A

> 98.8% of incidents involved single shooters A

> In 40% of incidents, shooters killed themselves A

> 6 shooters were women; all others were men A

> 5 shooters remain at large A
2014

NOTES

*Mass shooting fatality totals differ depending on 

criteria of the tracking agency. For more, see “A 

Note about Mass Casualty Crimes” as well as the 

sources below. 

SOURCES

A J. Pete Blair and Katherine W. Schweit, A Study 

of Active Shooter Incidents, 2000 - 2013, 

(Washington, DC: Texas State University and the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department 

of Justice, 2014), https://www.fbi.gov/news/

stories/2014/september/fbi-releases-study-onactive-shooter-incidents/pdfs/a-study-of-activeshooter-incidents-in-the-u.s.-between-2000-

and-2013

B “U.S. Mass Shootings, 1982-2016,” Mother Jones

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/

mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data

C “The Math of Mass Shootings,” Washington Post, 

Feb. 26, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/

graphics/national/mass-shootings-in-america

2015

A Note about Mass Casualty Crimes

What defines a mass casualty crime? 

That is the first question that media, 

government, and nonprofit agencies 

must answer when attempting to track 

these crimes. A 2013 federal statute

revised the definition of “mass killing” 

to “3 or more killed,” down from 4; 

accordingly, Mother Jones data from 

2013 to present is based on 3 deaths, 

while the Washington Post, among 

others, still uses 4. 

In addition to the challenge of 

defining a mass casualty crime, the 

effect of these incidents is difficult 

to quantify. Statistics are limited 

primarily to victim fatalities. Yet the 

actual harm from mass violence 

encompasses a much broader circle, 

including victims with non-fatal 

injuries and those who experience 

ongoing trauma and mental 

injury. This impact also extends to 

victims’ families and to witnesses, first 

responders, medical professionals, 

and the larger community.

Non-fatal (62.2%)

Fatal (37.8%)

Type of Casualty:B

killed injured

45

casualties

not including 

shooter

Non-fatal (48.3%)

Fatal (51.7%)

Type of Casualty:B

killed 

89

casualties

not including 

shooter

4 incidents B 7 incidents B

Men (3)

Women (1)

Sex of Shooter:B

Men (7)

Women (1)

Sex of Shooter:B

Mass shooting deaths (39)

Gun-related injuries (25,000)

Gun deaths (12,000)

Mass shootings compared to other incidents involving firearms:C

Alturas, CA > Fort Hood, TX > Isla Vista, CA > Marysville, WA Menasha, WI > Charleston, SC > Chattanooga, TN > Roseburg, OR

Colorado Springs, CO (Oct.) > Colorado Springs, CO (Nov.) > San Bernardino, CA