Guns used by active shooters at U.S. schools 2022

From 2000 to 2022, active shooter incidents at educational institutions in the United States were most likely to involve handguns, with 47 handguns used in elementary and secondary schools and 30 handguns used at postsecondary institutions. In comparison, 20 rifles and 11 shotguns were also used in active shooter incidents taking place at elementary and secondary schools within that time period. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an active shooter is defined as "one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area."

Number of guns used in active shooter incidents in elementary and secondary schools and at postsecondary institutions in the United States between 2000 and 2022, by gun type

Characteristic	Elementary and secondary	Postsecondary
-	-	-
-	-	-
-	-	-

Download

Source

Show detailed source information?

Already a member?

Source

Use Ask Statista Research Service

Release date

August 2023

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

2000 to 2022

Supplementary notes

*Data might not include all handguns used at postsecondary institutions, as one shooter was reported to have used 'several handguns' in 2015. Additionally, one of the handguns used in elementary and secondary schools in 2017 was listed as a pistol.

The source defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.”

School shootings are defined by the source as incidents in which a gun is brandished or fired on school property or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time of day, day of the week, or reason.
Data may differ based on what definition is used.

Citation formats