Mass shootings in the United States - statistics & facts
Mass shootings, generally defined as incidents where four or more people are killed or injured by a firearm, excluding the shooter themselves, have become an alarmingly common occurrence in the United States throughout the last century. The U.S. has had more mass shootings than any other country, with disturbing reports of mass killings occurring in schools, supermarkets, churches, parks, and many other places where individuals are living their ordinary lives. The number of casualties has also begun to rise in recent mass shootings in the U.S. and 13 of the deadliest mass shootings have occurred from 2015 onwards. In 2017, the greatest number of casualties was reported during a mass shooting against a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas, Nevada, which left 58 people dead and a total of 604 victims. However, despite the increase in the frequency and severity of mass shootings, the U.S. government has declined to enact any legislation to prevent future shootings from happening.
Most mass shootings in the U.S. involve weapons which were obtained legally, demonstrating a correlation between the rise of mass shootings and the ability for people to purchase deadly weapons without restriction in the United States. While handguns were the most common weapon found in mass shootings in the U.S., assault weapons have frequently been used to carry out the deadliest mass shootings, further suggesting that reducing access to such weapons would ease the number of casualties.
In addition, although the majority of mass shooters have been White and male, there has been no clear pattern found between the socio-economic or cultural background of mass shooters. As a result, greater attention has been placed upon the mental health of shooters. In over half of the mass shootings since 1982, the perpetrator showed prior signs of mental health issues, suggesting that improved mental health services may help reduce the number of shootings. Critics, however, admonish this narrative for failing to acknowledge that America is not unique in having people with mental health issues, but rather unique in the country’s indulgent stance on civilian gun ownership.
Despite the surplus of evidence to show that easy access to guns is a main driver behind mass shootings, it is evident that the U.S. tends to divert attention to a variety of other reasons to explain the motives of mass shooters. In 2022, one of the deadliest school shootings in the United States occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which an 18-year-old student legally purchased two AR-15 style rifles to fatally shoot 19 elementary school children and two adults. Investigators described the 18-year-old as an isolated individual who became obsessed with school shootings, but with no documented history of mental health problems.
Similarly, a horrific 2016 attack in Orlando, Florida, revealed that the mass shooter had legally purchased an assault-style rifle and a handgun to kill 49 people at an LGBTQ-friendly nightclub. Media narratives theorized that the shooter was specifically targeting LBGTQ people for religious reasons, even though further investigation found no evidence that the shooter knew that the nightclub catered to the LGBTQ population, only that he was looking for a location where he could enter with weapons undetected. As a result, although investigations may reveal similar motives and background traits of mass shooters, as well as warning signs to look out for, the evidence suggests that the main thing mass shooters have in common is the ability to access a deadly weapon and the intent to use it.
Are guns or people the problem?
Most mass shootings in the U.S. involve weapons which were obtained legally, demonstrating a correlation between the rise of mass shootings and the ability for people to purchase deadly weapons without restriction in the United States. While handguns were the most common weapon found in mass shootings in the U.S., assault weapons have frequently been used to carry out the deadliest mass shootings, further suggesting that reducing access to such weapons would ease the number of casualties.
In addition, although the majority of mass shooters have been White and male, there has been no clear pattern found between the socio-economic or cultural background of mass shooters. As a result, greater attention has been placed upon the mental health of shooters. In over half of the mass shootings since 1982, the perpetrator showed prior signs of mental health issues, suggesting that improved mental health services may help reduce the number of shootings. Critics, however, admonish this narrative for failing to acknowledge that America is not unique in having people with mental health issues, but rather unique in the country’s indulgent stance on civilian gun ownership.
Motives of mass shooters
Despite the surplus of evidence to show that easy access to guns is a main driver behind mass shootings, it is evident that the U.S. tends to divert attention to a variety of other reasons to explain the motives of mass shooters. In 2022, one of the deadliest school shootings in the United States occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which an 18-year-old student legally purchased two AR-15 style rifles to fatally shoot 19 elementary school children and two adults. Investigators described the 18-year-old as an isolated individual who became obsessed with school shootings, but with no documented history of mental health problems.
Similarly, a horrific 2016 attack in Orlando, Florida, revealed that the mass shooter had legally purchased an assault-style rifle and a handgun to kill 49 people at an LGBTQ-friendly nightclub. Media narratives theorized that the shooter was specifically targeting LBGTQ people for religious reasons, even though further investigation found no evidence that the shooter knew that the nightclub catered to the LGBTQ population, only that he was looking for a location where he could enter with weapons undetected. As a result, although investigations may reveal similar motives and background traits of mass shooters, as well as warning signs to look out for, the evidence suggests that the main thing mass shooters have in common is the ability to access a deadly weapon and the intent to use it.
