School Shootings Are at an All-Time High and Becoming More Deadly, Study Says

The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a close look at the startling new numbers—and what can be done about it.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Whether it’s Uvalde, Sandy Hook, Parkland, or Columbine, school shootings in the U.S. have left an indelible mark on the country. Despite the heartache and pain these tragedies cause, the number of these types of devastating events that occur each school year is at an all-time high according to a study published in Pediatrics.

According to the study, 122 people have died in the 1,453 school shootings that have taken place between the 1997-1998 and 2021-2022 school years. Plus, the most recent 10 years had more fatalities and injuries, or 141 people impacted, than the previous 15 years, where 107 were impacted.

Not only did the number of school mass shootings increase over the last 25 years, but mass school shootings have become more deadly, says Luke Rapa, PhD, the lead author of the study and associate professor at Clemson University. "Coordinated efforts—across home, school, and children’s full networks of care—can [help] mitigate potential harms of school-related gun violence."

How Many Fatalities and Injuries Happen Each Year?

Over the 25-year time span examined, Rapa says the greatest number of fatalities and injuries sustained from school mass shootings combined, was in the 2017–2018 school year, with 27 fatalities and 30 injuries. The 2021–2022 school year had the second-greatest number of fatalities and injuries sustained from mass school shootings, combined, with 25 fatalities and 24 injuries.

Easy access to firearms—especially at home—lack of policies around firearms, and a lack of mental health support could be contributing to this increase in school shootings, says Katie Hurley, DSW, LCSW, the senior clinical advisor for external affairs at The Jed Foundation, an organization that partners with schools to provide mental health support.

This period in a young person's life is also a vulnerable time for them emotionally, physically, and mentally, she says. "Once upon a time, American schoolchildren practiced fire drills in their schools to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Today, stop, drop, and roll has been replaced with active shooter drills."

Living with the threat of school violence can contribute to anxiety, stress, and school phobia—especially since physical and emotional safety are primary needs of children and teens, she says. "The threat of school shootings negatively affects their abilities to experience either of those essential needs."

What's more, the toll on student mental health is vast. Experts estimate more than 100,000 children in the U.S. attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, students may be more deeply impacted by a school shooting than other types of violence and they may lose trust in their school's ability to keep them safe.

What Can Be Done to Curb School Violence?

Rapa says their paper introduced a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) approach which allows school personnel to address not only students’ educational needs, but also social, emotional, and behavioral needs. "MTSS approaches can be used by schools to address school violence, including gun violence, as well as to address students’ behavioral and mental health needs," Rapa explains.

This evidence-based program is designed to support student well-being, improve school climate, and reduce behavioral issues and school violence rather than relying on more traditional interventions like zero-tolerance policies, corporal punishment, suspensions, and school-based arrests.

It's also important that pediatricians advocate for and educate parents about gun safety. Aside from discussing firearm storage, they should also determine if their state is one of the 21 in the U.S. with Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws or "red flag" laws. Under these laws, courts can issue an order temporarily restricting a person at increased risk of harming themselves or others from having a gun.

What schools can do

While Hurley says schools aren't fully responsible for school shootings, they should be cultivating the emotional, social, and psychological culture of their school community. In addition to gun-specific safety strategies, they also can increase access to mental health services and create cultures of caring in an effort to help build resilience among students.

Recognizing bullying and social discord also is important, says Kara Kushnir, MSW, LCSW, PMH-C, a clinical director and psychotherapist at A Work of Heart Counseling. In the past, school shooters have felt they were outcasts and sought revenge or notoriety as a result of feeling disenfranchised by their peers, she says.

"In a society where guns outnumber its citizens, it is important schools take all forms of bullying very seriously," adds Julie Stucke, PhD, a child psychologist at Dayton Children's Hospital. "We know that the majority of school shooters are youth who have been bullied and often feel alienated from their peers."

Schools could organize groups of teachers and students who work together to identify those who struggle socially and come up with ways to help them feel accepted and included. One example is a “lunch buddy” program where students who usually sit by themselves at lunch have one or more other students join them each day, Stucke says.

"Students also may need to be trained to identify when others are being bullied and educated about how to best respond in these situations such as reporting the incident to a teacher or sticking up for the person being bullied," she says.

Related: Anonymous Reporting System Shows Promise in Preventing School Shootings

What parents can do

Other research has shown that in the majority of school shootings, firearms were taken from home or from a family member, Rapa says. As mentioned earlier, restricting access or preventing unwanted access to firearms is a good first step for parents and family members to take. In fact, researchers estimate that 4.6 million children live in households with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.

"Parents should reexamine their relationship with firearms," Hurley says. "If you have a gun in your house, it should be safely stored. Your child should never have access to it."

You also can talk to your kids about what to do if they see a gun that isn’t locked up, how to get help with their emotions, and what to do if a friend is struggling, she adds. "When families...talk through difficult situations, kids and teens are empowered to seek help for themselves and others," says Hurley.

Also, practice asking other families if they have guns in the home before playdates, suggests Rachel Masi, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and research consultant for Sandy Hook Promise. If they do have a gun, ask if the guns are stored in a securely locked safe and kept separate from ammunition.

"This conversation may be awkward at first, but I remind [parents] it is the same as asking a family about allergies before having drop-off playdates," she says. "Safety is the number one priority."

Finally, talk to your kids about what they can do if a friend asks to show them a gun or weapon. Use role-playing to equip your child with the tools to say no and take the next safe steps, like telling an adult, Masi adds.

Make sure they also know how to talk to you or another trusted adult if they or their friends are having thoughts about harming themselves or someone else.

"So many parents are afraid to have these difficult conversations or think 'not my kid,'" says Kushnir "But the reality is, it could be anyone's kid. If you have a gun in your house, considering how you store it and [teaching] gun safety to your kids is really just half the battle. The other half is knowing your child—and how are they doing—that could save their life or someone else's."

Related: How to Handle Tragedy on Your Child's College Campus

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