25: That’s the number of incidents that have already occurred involving a shooting on K12 grounds since the start of the new year. And if you’re data-driven, you’ll be quick to understand that this number equates to nearly one shooting a day in 2023.
Number of incidents this year
Less than one month into the year, we’ve already exceeded the total number of school shootings for the entirety of 2012 which was 20, according to the “K-12 School Shooting Database.” What’s really shocking is the dramatic spike in the number of shootings starting in 2018.
Between 2017 and 2018, the number of incidents more than doubled, and since then the numbers have steadily remained in the hundreds.
Additionally, the number of people shot, whether fatally or just wounded, reached its highest point in 2022 in the last five years. So far, in 2023 there have been at least 17 people wounded or killed by gunplay while on school grounds.
Causes of incidents/aftermath
Most obviously, the most common cause of a situation resulting in a shooting on a K12 school campus is an escalation of a dispute. Most intriguingly, the second-most common form is “accidental,” and suicide/attempted suicide comes in third.
As to how these incidents were resolved, nearly one-third of the shooters either fled or escaped the premises. Just under 40% of them were apprehended.
Location/time period
According to the data, more shootings took place in school parking lots than in any other location on campus. The classroom and adjacent to the building are the second and third most common places for an incident to occur.
Additionally, more incidents seem to occur in the early hours of the school day. Unsurprisingly, athletic events are another popular place for shooters to attack.
Shooter’s relation to school
As you might predict, nearly half (43.3%) of shooters are students of the school where they attack, while nearly a quarter (21.7%) of shooters have no relation to the school whatsoever.
And most commonly, shooters target high schools more than any other school level, according to the data. 64.1% of incidents happen within or outside a high school, and 17.9% target elementary schools, which is the second most targeted.
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