From 2008 to March 6, 2024, the District of Columbia had the highest rate of school shootings nationwide, totaling around 0.7 school shootings per 100,000 residents. Louisiana, Delaware, Alabama, and Maryland rounded out the top five states with the highest school shooting rates relative to their populations. In contrast, there were no school shootings recorded in Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island within the provided time period. In addition to K-12 schools and college campuses, gun-related violence in the United States often occurs at workplaces, places of worship, and restaurants and bars.
The source defines school shootings as incidents of gun violence which occurred on school property, from kindergartens through colleges/universities, and at least one person was shot, not including the shooter. School property includes, but is not limited to, buildings, fields, parking lots, stadiums and buses. Accidental discharges of firearms are included, as long as at least one person is shot, but not if the sole shooter is law enforcement or school security.
Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state
*There were no school shootings in Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Rhode Island from 2008 to March 6, 2024, according to analysis by the source.
The source defines school shootings as incidents of gun violence which occurred on school property, from kindergartens through colleges/universities, and at least one person was shot, not including the shooter. School property includes, but is not limited to, buildings, fields, parking lots, stadiums and buses. Accidental discharges of firearms are included, as long as at least one person is shot, but not if the sole shooter is law enforcement or school security.
Population estimates were taken from the 2020 U.S. Census.
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CNN. (March 7, 2024). Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 09, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
CNN. "Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state." Chart. March 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 09, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
CNN. (2024). Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 09, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
CNN. "Number of School Shootings per 100,000 Residents in The United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by State." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
CNN, Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 09, 2025)
Number of school shootings per 100,000 residents in the United States from 2008 to March 6, 2024, by state [Graph], CNN, March 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1462748/rate-of-school-shootings-by-state-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed