The United States has been rocked by a harrowing 58 school shootings recorded up until the third of October this year. Out of these occurrences, 19 have taken place on the grounds of various collegiate institutions while the balance of 39 occurred on the premises of K-12 institutions. The fallout from these horrific incidents totals at least 28 individuals deceased and upwards of 67 injured, insights derived from analysis conducted by various debriefings, education week reports, and gun safety overviews.
Every single reported incident of a school shooting is scrutinized by sifting through police documentation, media reports, and the official account from the institutions affected. A broad perimeter has been cast over the parameters that constitute a school property, encapsulating kindergartens through colleges and universities, inclusive of the structures themselves as well as encompassing spaces such as fields, parking amenities, stadiums, and buses. Every instance where at least one individual has been wounded by gunshots is considered, excluding scenarios where the sole shooter is a member of law enforcement body or school security. Unintentional discharges of firearms also make the cut, provided someone endures a gunshot wound.
The previous calendar year during the height of the pandemic and consequent school closures witnessed a significant decrease in incidences of gun violence on school properties. However, a worrying uptick has been recorded in recent years, with both the years 2021 and 2022 registering the highest figures since 2008 when the tracking program was initiated. The previous year was particularly devastating, marked by the tragic event at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, resulting in the demise of 19 students and two educators along with a string of others injured.
In response to these shocking events, people in education, from students to teachers, have started to rally around the issues related to gun violence. The violence has even driven some to abandon their careers in education.
Geographically, southern states have the dubious distinction of housing the most school shootings relative to population size since records began in 2008. Washington, DC boasted the highest rate, with a total of five shootings, representing a rate of more than 0.7 per 100,000 residents. Texas, however, had the highest raw number of school shootings with a staggering total of 50. Mirrored against these dire statistics, just five states – Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island – have managed to avoid any school shootings over the same period.
