Data Shows 2018 Worst Year on Record for Gun Violence in Schools

Data Shows 2018 Worst Year on Record for Gun Violence in Schools

According to data from the US Naval Postgraduate School’s K-12 school shooting database, there were 94 incidents of gun violence in schools this year.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • December 18, 2018

According to data from the US Naval Postgraduate School’s K-12 school shooting database, there were 94 incidents of gun violence in schools this year. This year’s rate of gun violence in schools is a record high since 1970, which is the earliest year covered by the database, and 59 percent higher than the previous record of 59 incidents in 2006.

The database’s homepage notes that it counts “each and every instance a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time of day, or day of week.” It pulls its information and data from a variety of sources, including government agencies and media reports.

In addition to tracking the sheer number of gun violence incidents on campuses, the database also tracks deaths; 2018 was also the worst year on record for gun deaths. At press time, 55 people, including the shooter, were killed in school gun violence this year. The second-worst year for school gun deaths was 1993, during which 40 died.

School gun violence this year has sparked discussion of stricter gun laws, especially in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting Feb. 14, in which 17 people were killed. Schools and police departments are also working to implement new and stricter safety and security measures on campuses to prevent violence from ever beginning.

More detailed breakdown and analysis of the US Naval Postgraduate School’s K-12 school shooting database information can be found here.  

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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