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FBI: Active shooter incidents down 4% last year, up 89% over past 5 years


The FBI has released the annual active shooter report. The report found that 2023 saw fewer active shooting incidents than 2022, leading to a 4% decrease. However, over the last five years, active shooter incidents have gone up 89%, according to the FBI. 

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The FBI defines “active shooter” as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. 

Though active shootings went down 4% from 2022 to 2023, that change is not a large one. There were just two fewer active shooter incidents in 2023 (48) than there were in 2022 (50). 

Over the last five years, the FBI said there were 229 active shootings across the U.S., which is up 89% from the 121 active shootings in the five years between 2014 and 2018. 

In 2023, 449 people were killed and 773 were wounded in the 48 active shootings.

More people died because of an active shooting incident in the last five years than the five years between 2014 and 2018, which included three of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. 

Last year alone, 105 people were killed in active shootings and another 139 were hurt. 

The shootings happened in 26 states. California had the most with eight, followed by Texas and Washington with four each. 

The FBI’s report came just weeks after the federal government released preliminary numbers showing a 15% drop in violent crime during the first quarter of 2024 compared to last year. 

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A NEW F-B-I REPORT IS SHEDDING LIGHT ON ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS IN AMERICA. 

ACCORDING TO ITS ANNUAL ACTIVE SHOOTER REPORT RELEASED MONDAY – 20-23 SAW FEWER ACTIVE SHOOTING INCIDENTS THAN 20-22… LEADING TO A 4 PERCENT DECREASE. 

HOWEVER – OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS… ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS HAVE GONE UP 89 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO THE F-B-I. 

BUT WHAT DO THOSE STATISTICS ACTUALLY MEAN? 

LET’S START OFF WITH WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. 

THE F-B-I DEFINES “ACTIVE SHOOTER” AS ONE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN KILLING OR ATTEMPTING TO KILL PEOPLE IN A POPULATED AREA. 

AS WE MENTIONED, ACTIVE SHOOTINGS WENT DOWN 4 PERCENT FROM 20-22 TO 20-23 – BUT WHAT DOES FOUR PERCENT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? 

TWO. 

THERE WERE TWO FEWER ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS IN 20-23 (48) THAN THERE WERE IN 20-22 (50). 

OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS – THE F-B-I SAYS THERE WERE 229 ACTIVE SHOOTINGS ACROSS THE U-S. 

THAT’S UP 89 PERCENT FROM THE 121 ACTIVE SHOOTINGS IN THE FIVE YEARS BETWEEN 20-14 AND 20-18. 

IN THE 48 ACTIVE SHOOTINGS IN 20-23… 449 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 773 WOUNDED. 

TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE… MORE PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTING INCIDENT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS – THAN THE FIVE YEARS BETWEEN 20-14 AND 20-18 – WHICH INCLUDED THREE OF THE DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTINGS IN U-S HISTORY. 

LAST YEAR ALONE 105 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN ACTIVE SHOOTINGS AND ANOTHER 139 WERE HURT… 

THE SHOOTINGS HAPPENED IN 26 STATES – WITH CALIFORNIA SEEING THE MOST… EIGHT. 

FOLLOWED BY TEXAS AND WASHINGTON WITH FOUR EACH. 

THE F-B-I’S REPORT COMES JUST WEEKS AFTER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RELEASED PRELIMINARY NUMBERS SHOWING A 15 PERCENT DROP IN VIOLENT CRIME IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 20-24 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.