As of September 4, there were two mass shootings in the United States in 2024. This is compared to one mass shooting in 1982, one in 2000, and 12 mass shootings in 2022 and 2023.
School shootings
The United States sees the most school shootings in the world. Some motivations for school shootings included depression, seeking revenge, and bullying. As a result of the large amount of school shootings, gun control has become a central topic in U.S. politics. This widespread problem happens across the United States; however California saw the highest number of K-12 school shootings in the United States since 1970. However, the deadliest school shooting (as of October 2023) was the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. This tragedy left 33 dead and 23 injured.
Mass shooting issues
Mass shootings happen when there are several injuries or deaths from a firearm-related violence. Throughout the last century, mass shootings have become an epidemic in the United States. However, despite the increase in mass shootings and number of casualties, the U.S. government has done little to prevent future shootings from happening. As a result of the lack of cooperation in politics, mass shootings have become an important issue for Generation Z living in the United States. Furthermore, having the right to bear arms is a popular belief in the U.S. and the percentage of households in the United States owning at least one firearm has remained somewhat steady since 1972.
Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024
**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.
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Mother Jones. (September 4, 2024). Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Mother Jones. "Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024." Chart. September 4, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Mother Jones. (2024). Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Mother Jones. "Number of Mass Shootings in The United States between 1982 and September 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 4 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Mother Jones, Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/ (last visited November 22, 2024)
Number of mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024 [Graph], Mother Jones, September 4, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/