U.S. School Shootings at Their Highest Level in 25 Years: Study

U.S. school shootings have risen in frequency in the recent 25 years and are now at their highest recorded levels, according to a study published in the March 2024 Pediatrics. Mass shootings on school campuses, meanwhile, have not increased in frequency but have become more deadly. The study, “School Shootings in the United States: 1997-2022,” published online March 4, drew on data from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s School Shooting Safety Compendium. In all, there were 1,453 school shootings, defined as “each and every instance a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time of day, or day of week.” The most recent five school years reflected a substantially higher number of school shootings than the prior 15 years combined – with a total of 794 shootings between 2017-2022. Researchers retrieved separate data on school mass shootings from a database developed by Mother Jones. Across the 1997-1998 to 2021-2022 school years, a total of 122 people were killed and 126 were injured in the 11 school mass shootings that occurred, for a total of 248 victims, according to the study. The authors noted challenges due to a lack of a central or unified database that contains all incidents of U.S. gun violence, because each database uses a varied definition for what constitutes as a school shooting or a school mass shooting. In 2019, gun injury became the leading cause of death among children birth to 19. The authors conclude that school-based interventions can be utilized to address this public health crisis. They recommend effective approaches and services in support of students’ mental health and academic and behavioral needs. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.