In the United States, there were more mass shootings than there were days in 2023. Unfortunately, mass shootings have increased significantly since the pandemic in 2020, perhaps caused by a mental health crisis. According to a study published last year, the percentage of mass shootings increased by 46.7% overall in 2020.
While alone we may be powerless to prevent mass shootings, we can take steps as communities to establish physical and social barriers to gun violence, especially in our schools, workplaces, and houses of worship. In this article, we’ll explore what the data says about gun violence over the years, and what we can do to reduce the impact of these tragedies in the future.
Mass Shootings in 2023:
According to the National Criminal Justice Association, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) defines a mass shooting as an instance where “one or more people engage in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” It is truly shocking how many mass shootings in 2023 occurred that should have never happened.
According to the Gun Violence Archive Organization, there were a total of 657 mass shootings in the United States last year. Here are the complete statistics detailing just how tragic these events were:
- Total number of deaths from gun violence (all causes) in 2023: 43,032
- Total number of suicides with the use of a gun: 24,090
- Total number of homicides or unintentional deaths with the use of a gun; 18,942
- Total number of injuries from gun violence: 36,369
- Total number of mass murders: 41
- Total number of children ages 0 to 11 killed: 298
- Total number of children ages 0 to 11 injured: 640
- Total number of teens ages 12 to 17 killed: 1,390
- Total number of teens ages 12 to 17 injured: 640
- Total number of officers killed or injured; 368
- Total number of unintentional shootings: 1,584
- Total number of murder suicide incidents: 680
These numbers are down slightly from 2022, where the total number of deaths by gun violence (all causes) totaled 47,446. However, in 2022, there were fewer teens killed by gun violence and fewer officers killed or injured through the use of a gun—showing a disturbing trend.
Mass Shootings in 2024:
In January 2024 alone, there have already been 62 school shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive Organization. Thankfully, most of these have not claimed the lives of any victims, and have caused few injuries. However, some have, including:
- In Perry, Iowa on January 4, 2024, at Perry Middle and High School, injuring five and claiming the lives of two victims.
- In Miami, Florida on January 11, 2024, at Miami Northwestern Senior High, injuring one victim.
- In Dayton, Ohio at Greater Dayton Rec Center at Roosevelt Commons on January 12, 2024, claiming the life of one victim.
- In Ellicott City, Maryland at Children’s Manor Montessori School on January 17, 2024, claiming the life of one victim.
There have been 29 total mass shootings in January of 2024, including a mass shooting in Joliet, Illinois, claiming the lives of eight victims, including the suspect, and injuring one.
Mass Shootings by Year:
Over the last ten years, gun violence in the United States has steadily risen, and the total number of deaths has climbed. A significant increase occurred in the year 2020, and the number of mass shootings has totaled over 600 per year ever since. Here is the hard data on mass shootings by year over the last decade:
- 2014: 272 mass shootings
- 2015: 332 mass shootings
- 2016: 383 mass shootings
- 2017: 347 mass shootings
- 2018: 335 mass shootings
- 2019: 414 mass shootings
- 2020: 610 mass shootings
- 2021: 688 mass shootings
- 2022: 644 mass shootings
- 2023: 657 mass shootings
Mass Shootings by Country:
Unfortunately, the United States leads the world in the number of mass shootings that happen within our country. In order of number of incidents, here are the countries where the most mass shootings occur:
- United States of America
- Russia
- France
- Germany
- Canada
- Finland
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Italy
- Netherlands
Guns Used in Mass Shootings:
Military style assault rifles have been responsible for some of the deadliest mass shootings in history, prompting politicians to consider bans on such weapons for decades. Attacks perpetrated using these types of weapons raise a particular risk, as these weapons can injure and kill victims more quickly than other types of guns.
Semi-automatic assault rifles have been involved in the deadliest shootings in history, such as the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, and the 2022 Uvalde shooting.
How to Prevent Gun Violence in Schools:
While the societal challenge of meeting the mental health needs of our citizens is an ongoing battle, there are physical steps school administrators can take to prevent the impact of gun violence in schools.
According to a study conducted by the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, doors that lock from the inside are the best protection against school shootings. The Commission has concluded that the “testimony and other evidence presented to the commission reveals that there has never been an event in which an active shooter breached a locked classroom door.”
If your school has not been equipped with door locks that activate from inside the classroom, or lockdown shades to block the shooter's view into the classroom, now is the time to refit your building with this simple but effective solution. These devices protect teachers from violence while attempting to lock classroom doors from the outside and allow doors to remain closed in an emergency.
School Door Locks that Activate from the Inside:
With an internal lock such as the TEACHERLOCK™ and TEACHERLOCK II™, teachers never have to exit the classroom to lock their doors in the event of a security threat. Only individuals who are authorized can lock the door from the inside, and the door can only be unlocked from the outside using a special key. The special key can be supplied to other teachers, security personnel, or administrators.
The TEACHERLOCK and TEACHERLOCK II deploy a durable bolting mechanism within seconds in the event of an emergency. While being incredibly effective, they also remain relatively discrete – helping keep the environment of the classroom a happy one.
Are Your Classrooms Secure? Reach out to School Safety Solution Today.
At School Safety Solution, our mission is to decrease the impacts of gun violence in schools, office buildings, places of worship, and anywhere people come together. We are proud to provide reliable, high-quality, and life-saving equipment across the country.
You can call our team of safety experts any time at 888.733.0406 or send us an email at info@schoolsafetysolution.com for more information.