The impact of public mass shootings in the United States is reflected in the number of injuries and fatalities over recent years. A public mass shooting is when someone kills four or more people with guns in a single event, not counting the shooter(s), and at least some of the killings happen in a public place like a school, workplace, or restaurant; these shootings are not linked to other crimes like robbery, gang violence, fraud, or personal disputes.
This infographic shows the number of individuals injured or killed in public mass shootings in the United States from 2014 to 2023; it highlights the trends and fluctuations in mass shooting incidents over the years.
The data indicates a fluctuating but generally increasing trend in mass shooting casualties over the years, with certain years experiencing particularly high casualties. The impact of the 2017 Nevada concert shooting, which resulted in a significant spike in the number of injuries and deaths, underscores the devastating effects a single mass shooting event can have on the overall statistics and the lack of consequential change.
