Share of school shootings in high/low minority schools U.S. 2009-2019, by situation

From school years 2009-10 to 2018-19, 41 percent of shootings which occurred in K-12 schools where minority students made up 75 percent or more of the school population were dispute or grievance related in the United States. In contrast, only four percent of shootings which took place in K-12 schools with less than 25 percent minority enrollment were dispute or grievance related. Within the provided time period, low-minority schools were most likely to have school shootings which were school-targeted, at 38 percent. School-targeted shootings describe shootings that are generally targeted toward school staff or students on school premises, without a specific victim in mind, including active shooter incidents, incidents of a hostage standoff, and indiscriminate shootings against school staff and personnel. Suicides or attempted suicides were also more prevalent in low-minority schools, at 23 percent, compared to only three percent in high-minority schools.

The source defines a school shooting as 'any time a gun is fired on school grounds, on a school bus, or during a school event - during school hours or a school event or immediately before or after school hours or school event - including all incidents that meet the criteria above, including accidents and suicides, regardless of intent.'