In the United States, active shooting incidents seem to increase as the years progress. The FBI defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.”
Within the year 2021 alone, there were 61 active shootings. These shootings resulted in 103 deaths and 140 injuries.
These statistics are frightening and it’s important to be aware of them in order to help keep yourself and others safe.
If you or someone you know is in an active shooter situation, remember to:
- Call 911
- Get to a safe location
- Hide if you can’t get to a safe location
- Fight as a last resort (View our Run – Hide – Fight Article)
In this article, we’ll break down the statistics of an active shooter incidents within the past four years in order to get a better understanding of this problem.
If you run a business, we recommend our Active Shooter Training for Businesses course to help keep you and your employees safe and prepared.
An increase in active shootings over the past few years
According to data collected by the FBI, there has been an increase in active shooter incidents in the United States over the past few years.
In 2019, there were a total of thirty active shooter incidents. In 2020, this number rose to forty. And in 2021, there have been sixty-one active shooter incidents.
In 2020, forty active shooter incidents occurred in nineteen out of the fifty states. This number increased significantly in 2021 though, as sixty-one active mass shooting took place in thirty out of the fifty states.
Active Shooter Statistics By Month
When looking at the data on active shooter incidents by month, it shows that shootings are more likely to occur in the spring and summer.
Listed below is a breakdown of the total number of active shooter incidents by month in 2021.
January- 3
February- 2
March- 5
April- 10
May- 5
June- 12
July- 4
August- 7
September- 6
October- 2
November- 4
December- 1
As you can see, the number of active shooter incidents seems to be highest in the spring and summer months in multiple locations throughout the U.S.
Active Shooter Statistics – Gender And Age
When analyzing the data on active shooter incidents, it’s evident that these types of shootings are mostly carried out by males.
Out of the sixty-one active shooter incidents in 2021, sixty were carried out by males and one was carried out by a female.
When looking at the age of the active shooters, it skews towards young adults.
A total of thirty-two active shooters were between the ages of nineteen and thirty-four.
Listed below is a breakdown of the total number of active shooter incidents by age:
under 18- 2
19-24- 14
25-34 – 18
35-44 – 10
45-54 – 9
55-64 – 6
65 and up – 1
Unknown- 1
As you can see, the majority of active shooter attacks are from young adults.
Active Shooter Statistics – Incident Resolution
When looking at how active shooter incidents are resolved, it’s shows that about half of them are resolved by law enforcement.
A total of thirty of the sixty-one active shooter incidents were resolved by law enforcement.
Listed below is a breakdown of how the sixty-one active shooter incidents were resolved:
Shooters apprehended by law enforcement – 30
Shooters killed by law enforcement – 14
Shooters killed by citizen – 4
Shooters killed themselves – 11
At large – 1
Other – 1*
*One shooter was killed in a vehicle crash.
Active Shooter Statistics – Highest Casualties
The federal definition of a “mass killing” is three or more killings in a single incident.
The incident with the highest number of casualties was the one that occurred at a FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 15th, 2021.
This incident resulted in the deaths of eight people and the wounding of seven others.
The other incidents that resulted in a high number of casualties were:
Kroger Grocery Store in Collierville, Tennessee – One killed and fourteen wounded (15)
Various locations in Phoenix, Arizona – One killed and twelve wounded (13)
Oxford High School shooting, Oxford, Michigan – Four killed and seven wounded (11)
King Soopers Grocery Store, Boulder, Colorado – Ten killed (10)
Active Shooter Statistics – Overview
From the FBI data collected, it is showing that active shooter incidents are becoming more common over the pact couple of years. Out of the 61 shootings in 2021, 103 victims were killed and another 140 were wounded. The majority of these shootings occur in areas of commerce, with business environments open to pedestrian traffic being the most popular location. When looking at the age and gender of those who carry out these shootings, it’s clear that most of them are males (98% male) and under the age of 44 (72% under the age of 44).
What can we do to prevent these shootings from happening? There is no one answer to this question. Some citizens suggest that stricter gun control laws need to be put in place, while others citizens believe that more needs to be done to address mental health issues. One thing that everyone can do is to prepare yourself and your employees to be ready in the event of an active shooter. We highly encourage you to look into our Active Shooter Safety Training for your business.
