Number of guns used by active shooters in U.S schools and colleges 2000-2022, by type
From 2000 to 2022, active shooter incidents at educational institutions in the United States were most likely to involve handguns, with 47 handguns used in elementary and secondary schools and 30 handguns used at postsecondary institutions. In comparison, 20 rifles and 11 shotguns were also used in active shooter incidents taking place at elementary and secondary schools within that time period. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an active shooter is defined as "one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area."