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Infographics Published December 9, 2024 · Last updated November 1, 2026

Active Shooter Incidents in the U.S., 2000–2023: Key Facts

Executive Summary

A single-page breakdown of FBI data covering all 510 active shooter incidents recorded in the United States between 2000 and 2023 — incidents by year, where they occurred, casualties, firearms used, and how each incident ended.

Key Takeaways

  • The FBI recorded 510 active shooter incidents in the United States between 2000 and 2023, spread across 46 states and the District of Columbia.
  • Incidents climbed sharply in the 2020s — 61 in 2021, the highest of any year on record, against single digits for most of the early 2000s.
  • Businesses (220 incidents) and government facilities (138) each saw more incidents than schools (68).
  • 3,657 people were killed or wounded excluding the shooters: 1,407 killed and 2,395 wounded. 164 of those casualties were law enforcement officers.
  • 180 incidents — 35% of the total — met the federal "mass killing" threshold of three or more people killed in a single incident.

NCIER infographic, Active Shooter Incidents in the U.S. 2000–2023: Key Facts, showing incidents per year, casualties, firearms used, shooting locations and shooter outcomes.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

Businesses account for the largest share — 220 of the 510 incidents the FBI recorded between 2000 and 2023. Government facilities follow at 138, then open spaces at 124 and schools at 68. Residences (23), health care facilities (18) and houses of worship (16) make up the remainder. The common assumption that schools are the most frequent setting does not hold: businesses saw more than three times as many incidents.
510 through the end of 2023, across 46 states and the District of Columbia. California recorded the most at 64, followed by Texas (43), Florida (39), Pennsylvania (27) and Ohio (22).
3,657 casualties excluding the shooters themselves — 1,407 killed and 2,395 wounded. Law enforcement officers accounted for 36 of those killed and 128 of those wounded.
The FBI recorded 711 firearms across the 510 incidents: 465 handguns, 176 rifles, 60 shotguns and 10 unknown. More than one firearm was used in 132 incidents, and 22 shooters — about 4% — wore body armor.
263 shooters were apprehended and 117 were killed. 153 died by suicide: 71 before police arrived, 49 after police arrived and 33 at another location. 14 remained at large. That nearly half of all incidents end before or at the moment of police contact is why response timelines are measured in minutes.
Multiple shooters were involved in 13 incidents, about 2.5% of the total. 116 incidents — 23% — occurred across multiple locations. 12 shooters (2.2%) had access to or deployed additional devices such as IEDs, incendiary devices, smoke grenades, tear gas canisters or knives.
NCIER infographic Active Shooter Incidents in the U.S. 2000–2023: Key Facts

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Conducted By

C
C3/NCIER Studios
Author
Creative Team
W
William Godfrey
Reviewer
Lead Instructor

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