School Shootings

Facts

• There have been 435 school shootings since the Columbine massacre. More than 398,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine. —The Washington Post, updated September 11, 2025
• From 2000–2022, there were 783 shootings involving deaths or injuries at elementary and secondary schools. —USAFacts
• Documented reasons for school shootings from 1966–2026 include anger over grades or suspension, bullying, domestic violence involving a targeted victim, drive-by shootings, escalation of disputes, hostage situations or standoffs, illegal activity, indiscriminate shootings, intentional property damage, murder-suicide, officer-involved shootings, psychosis, racial motives, self-defense, suicide or attempted suicide, and unknown causes. —David Riedman, K–12 School Shooting Database (2025)
• Approximately 154 active-shooter incidents have been reported at K–12 schools in the United States since 1999. —David Riedman, K–12 School Shooting Database (2025)
• In 2025, 233 shooting incidents at K–12 schools resulted in 221 injuries and fatalities, down from 352 incidents in 2023. —Security.org, April 21, 2026
• Between 1999 and 2025, there were an average of six active-shooter events at K–12 schools each year. Fifty-five percent occurred at high schools. —Security.org, April 21, 2026

Possible Solutions Underway

What parents can do

• Consider what a child may be missing—such as sleep or socialization—that could contribute to anger.
• Assess the child’s relationships.
• Pay thoughtful attention to screen time.
• Keep lines of communication open, especially when doing so is difficult.

What schools can do

• Teach social and emotional skills. Everyday interactions and unstructured play help children regulate emotions, recognize others’ feelings, negotiate, and cooperate.
• Hire more counselors and school resource officers. Many schools have few or no trained psychologists, social workers, or adjustment counselors available to identify and assist troubled students.
• Use technology to identify threats. Anonymous reporting systems, including text-based systems, can help parents and students alert school counselors and law enforcement before violence occurs.

What communities can do

• Help identify smaller problems before they grow into violence.
• Encourage standard mental-health screenings. Health checkups can help identify aggression, social isolation, serious mental-health concerns, or a fascination with violence and guns, followed by appropriate referrals.
• Enlist social-media companies in efforts to detect credible threats.