School shootings in the U.S. by victim count 2026| Statista

Number of victims of school shootings in the United States from August 1982 and March 2026, by number of victims

Characteristic	Fatalities	Injured
Virginia Tech massacre (Blacksburg, Virginia, 2007)	32	23
Robb Elementary school massacre (Uvalde, Texas, 2022)	21	17
Columbine High School massacre (Littleton, Colorado, 1999)	13	24
Stockton schoolyard shooting (Stockton, California, 1989)	6	29
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting (Parkland, Florida, 2018)	17	17
Sandy Hook Elementary massacre (Newtown, Connecticut, 2012)	27	2
Thurston High School shooting (Springfield, Oregon, 1998)	4	25
Northern Illinois University shooting (DeKalb, Illinois, 2008)	5	21
Santa Fe High School shooting (Santa Fe, Texas, 2018)	10	13
Isla Vista mass murder (Santa Barbara, California, 2014)	6	13
Umpqua Community College shooting (Roseburg, Oregon, 2015)	9	9
Red Lake massacre (Red Lake, Minnesota, 2005)	10	5
Westside Middle School killings (Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1998)	5	10
Lindhurst High School shooting (Olivehurst, California, 1992)	4	10
Apalachee High School shooting (Winder, Georgia, 2023)	4	9
Nashville religious school schooting (Nashville, Tennessee, 2023)	6	6
Brown University and MIT shooting (Providence, Rhode Island, 2025)	3	9
Amish school shooting (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2006)	6	5
Oxford High School shooting (Oxford, Michigan, 2021)	4	7
Oikos University killings (Oakland, California, 2012)	7	3
Michigan State University shooting (East Lansing, Michigan, 2023)	3	5
University of Iowa shooting (Iowa City, Iowa, 1991)	6	1
Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting (Marysville, Washington, 2014)	5	1
University of Virginia shooting (Charlottesville, Virginia, 2022)	3	2
UNLV shooting (Las Vegas, Nevada, 2023)	3	1

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Release date

March 2026

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Region

United States

Survey time period

August 1982 to March 2026

Supplementary notes

Since 2013, the source defines a mass shooting as any single attack in a public place with three or more fatalities, in line with the definition by the FBI. Before 2013, a mass shooting was defined as any single attack in a public place with four or more fatalities.

Citation formats

As of March 1, 2026, the deadliest school shooting in the United States, was the Virginia Tech massacre, with 32 fatalities and 23 injuries. The next deadliest school shooting (based on fatalities) was the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, with 27 fatalities.

School shootings in the U.S.

Mass shootings in the United States have become a disturbingly common occurrence, and sadly, so have school shootings. The Columbine school shooting is perhaps the most famous in the country’s history, and since 1999, the number of school shootings has only increased. Many measures have been used to try to prevent school shootings, including security guards and metal detectors being deployed in schools, and even the suggestion that teachers be allowed to carry guns in schools.

Gun control

Gun control in the United States is a highly contentious issue, since gun ownership is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Advocates for stricter gun control laws believe they will reduce shooting incidents, while the opposition says that limiting gun ownership is unconstitutional. Nonetheless, gun ownership rates in the U.S. are high, with the share of American households owning at least one firearm remaining relatively steady since 1972.