This article lists school shootings in the United States for which separate articles exist. The entries are organized first by the number of fatalities, and then by the number of injuries and date of occurrence. Incidents listed here occurred at a variety of institutions, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, and trade schools.
School shootings have occurred in the United States since the mid-19th century, although they were relatively uncommon until around the late 20th century. From the 1960s through the 1980s, fatal school shootings occurred infrequently, with most involving one or two victims. Since the 1990s, however, the frequency and lethality of such incidents have increased, coinciding with a broader rise in mass shootings. The Columbine High School massacre of 1999, which resulted in 16 deaths, including the perpetrators, is often cited as a turning point in media coverage and public perception of school shootings. It influenced subsequent security policies and cultural discussions around youth violence. The deadliest school shooting in US history took place on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where 33 people, including the perpetrator, were killed and 23 others injured. Other high-fatality incidents include the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, with 28 deaths (including the perpetrator and his mother); the Robb Elementary School shooting in 2022 in Uvalde, Texas, with 22 deaths (including the perpetrator); and the Parkland high school shooting in 2018 in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead. These incidents are among the deadliest school shootings in United States history.
Between 2000 and 2022, more than 300 school shootings occurred in the United States, although only a small fraction resulted in multiple fatalities. While the majority of incidents involve fewer than three deaths, a small number of high-profile cases account for a significant proportion of fatalities. Mass-casualty events have occurred more frequently at high schools and universities than at elementary schools, although some of the deadliest shootings, such as Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary, involved younger students.
The recurrence of school shootings has generated debate over a range of issues, including firearms legislation, mental health care, media coverage, and school security measures. Responses have included the implementation of school resource officers, lockdown and active-shooter drills, metal detectors, and, in some states, laws permitting school staff to carry firearms. Legislative proposals at both the federal and state levels have varied, from expanded background checks and age restrictions to measures allowing armed teachers.
List This table is organized first by deaths, then injuries, and then dates.