More than 383,000 students have witnessed gun violence in schools in the United States over the past 25 years. During that time, there were 417 gunshots at educational institutions nationwide. The year with the most incidents was 2022, with 46 reports. In 2024, there were already 22.
The information is derived from Washington Post monitoring. The count takes into account all attacks on US schools that have occurred since April 20, 1999. On that date, two students from Columbine High School in Littleton (Colorado) entered the school armed with shotguns and semi-automatic weapons. They killed 12 students and 1 teacher before committing suicide.
There were other cases of violence in the US before this one, which was called the Columbia Massacre.That attack, however, was deeply ingrained in North Americans’ memories due to its severity and unprecedented media coverage.
According to The Washington Post, it started the count to make up for the federal government and American law enforcement agencies’ lack of data. Monitoring can help understand events and take preventive action. It will be ongoing, and the newspaper says it may include additional incidents from previous years.
According to the data, the most recent attack was on Friday (September 6, 2024), at Joppatowne High School, in Joppa (Maryland). A 16-year-old student shot and wounded a 15-year-old classmate in the school bathroom, according to Baltimore broadcaster WBALTV11. In all, 770 children were at the location.
Just two days earlier, a gunman entered Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, killing four people and injuring seven, according to WSB-TV. About 1,760 children were at the school at the time of the attack.
The monitoring agency says 213 people, including children and teachers, have died in the 417 cases recorded in US schools since 1999. Another 472 have been injured.
From 2018 onward, the number of incidents increased dramatically. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools remained closed for months, and the number decreased. When the institutions reopened in 2021, 42 primary and secondary schools recorded new attacks.
White students make up 56.7% of all students enrolled in American schools; black students make up 16.6%; Hispanic students make up 19.5%; and other students make up 7.2%, according to the Washington Post. However, white students account for 38.1% of gun violence in schools, followed by black students (33%), Hispanic students (22.9%), and other ethnic students (6%).
However, white men were mostly responsible for the most violent assaults. School shooters are typically 16 years old. According to additional survey data, 86% of the weapons used in the attacks were found in the homes of parents, friends, or relatives.
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