Mass shootings in the United States

Mass shootings are events where there are many victims of firearm-related violence. 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. The Washington Post recorded 163 mass shootings in the United States between 1967 and June 2019.

Statistics
The United States has had more mass shootings than any other country. Shooters generally either die by suicide afterward, are arrested, or are killed by police officers or civilians.

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

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. In 96% of mass shootings the shooter was male, in 2% they were female, and in 2% there were both male and female shooters.

Weapons used
Many types of guns have been used in mass shootings in the United States, including semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, revolvers, and shotguns. 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. From 1966 to 2019, about 77% of mass shooters in the U.S. legally bought the weapons used in the attacks.

Mental health
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. 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." 

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.

List of deadliest mass shootings since 1949
Rank Incident  Year  Location  Deaths  Injuries  Type of firearm(s) used  1 Las Vegas shooting  2017  Paradise, Nevada  60 (plus the perp.)including 2 victims who died due to complications in 2019 and 2020  867 approx. (413+ from gunfire or shrapnel)  Semi-automatic rifles (some outfitted with bump stocks), bolt-action rifle, and revolver  2 Orlando nightclub shooting   2016  Orlando, Florida  49 (plus the perp.)  58 (53 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic rifle and pistol  3 Virginia Tech shooting   2007  Blacksburg, Virginia  32 (plus the perp.)  23 (17 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic pistols  4 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting  2012  Newtown, Connecticut  27 (plus the perp.)  2  Semi-automatic rifle, bolt-action rifle, and pistol  5 Sutherland Springs church shooting  2017  Sutherland Springs, Texas  26 (plus the perp.)The fatality total includes an unborn child.  22  Semi-automatic rifle  6 Luby's shooting   1991  Killeen, Texas  23 (plus the perp.)  27  Semi-automatic pistols   El Paso Walmart shooting  2019  El Paso, Texas  23including a victim who died due to complications in 2020 23  Semi-automatic rifle  8 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre   1984  San Diego, California  22 (plus the perp.) 19  Semi-automatic carbine, pistol, and shotgun  9 Robb Elementary School shooting  2022  Uvalde, Texas  21 (plus the perp.)  18  Semi-automatic rifle   10 Lewiston shootings  2023  Lewiston, Maine  18  13  Unknown  11 University of Texas tower shooting  1966  Austin, Texas  17 (plus the perp.)including a victim who died due to complications in 2001 31  Bolt-action rifle, semi-automatic carbine, revolver, semi-automatic pistols, and pump-action shotgun   Parkland high school shooting  2018  Parkland, Florida  17  17  Semi-automatic rifle  13 Fort Hood shooting  2009  Killeen, Texas  14  32 (plus the perp.)  Semi-automatic pistol and revolver   San Bernardino attack  2015  San Bernardino, California  14 (plus both perps.)  24  Semi-automatic rifles   Edmond post office shooting  1986  Edmond, Oklahoma  14 (plus the perp.)  6  Semi-automatic pistols  16 Columbine High School massacre  1999  Columbine, Colorado  13 (plus both perps.)  24 (21 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic carbine, semi-automatic pistol, and shotguns  Binghamton shooting  2009  Binghamton, New York  13 (plus the perp.)  4  Semi-automatic pistols   Camden shootings   1949  Camden, New Jersey  13  3 (2 from gunfire) Semi-automatic pistol   Wilkes-Barre shootings  1982  Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania  13  1  Semi-automatic rifle   Wah Mee massacre  1983  Seattle, Washington  13  1  Semi-automatic pistol(s) and/or revolver(s)During the massacre, the perpetrators used three .22 caliber handguns of an unknown type that were never recovered by the authorities.  21 Aurora theater shooting  2012  Aurora, Colorado  12  70 (58 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic rifle, pistol, and shotgun   Thousand Oaks shooting  2018  Thousand Oaks, California  12 (plus the perp.)One of the victims was killed by stray police gunfire  16 (1 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic pistol   Washington Navy Yard shooting  2013  Washington, D.C.  12 (plus the perp.)  8 (3 from gunfire)  Semi-automatic pistol and shotgun   Virginia Beach shooting  2019  Virginia Beach, Virginia  12 (plus the perp.) 4  Semi-automatic pistols  25 Monterey Park shooting  2023  Monterey Park, California  11 (plus the perp.)  9  Semi-automatic pistol   Jacksonville shooting  1990  Jacksonville, Florida  11 (plus the perp.)  6  Semi-automatic carbine and revolver  Florida Gunman Kills 8 And Wounds 6 in Office - New York Times. Nytimes.com (1990-06-19). Retrieved on 2023-06-17. Pittsburgh synagogue shooting  2018 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  11  6 (plus the perp.)  Semi-automatic rifle and pistols   Easter Sunday Massacre  1975  Hamilton, Ohio  11  0  Semi-automatic pistols and revolver  29 Santa Fe High School shooting  2018  Santa Fe, Texas  10  13 (plus the accused)  Shotgun and revolver   Geneva County shootings  2009  Geneva County, Alabama  10 (plus the perp.)  6  Semi-automatic rifles, revolver, and shotgun   Buffalo supermarket shooting  2022  Buffalo, New York  10  3  Semi-automatic rifle   Boulder shooting  2021  Boulder, Colorado  10  1 (plus the accused)The civilian injury was indirect  Semi-automatic pistols   Palm Sunday massacre  1984  Brooklyn, New York  10  0  Semi-automatic pistols  

Mass shootings in 2024



2024 dateLocation State or territoryDeadInjured.DescriptionNovember 10Atlanta (the 6th mass shooting in Atlanta, in 2024)Georgia04It happened on the southeast side of the city.November 10Tuskegee (the 2nd mass shooting in Tuskegee, in 2024)Alabama112Tuskegee University shooting.

Notes

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