The United States faces an ongoing crisis of gun violence in schools, with 75 shootings reported in 2025, highlighting alarming trends that continue to escalate.
The United States continues to grapple with persistent gun violence on school grounds, with at least 75 school shootings recorded so far this year. This troubling trend shows little sign of abating. As of December 13, incidents of gun violence on educational campuses have claimed at least 31 lives and left more than 100 others injured, according to a CNN analysis that draws on data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Of the total incidents reported this year, 43 occurred on college and university campuses, while 32 took place on K-12 school grounds. This highlights that gun violence is not confined to any single level of the education system. CNN cross-checks all reported cases against school records, police statements, and media reports to ensure accuracy.
For tracking purposes, a school shooting is defined as any incident in which a firearm is discharged on school property—from kindergartens through colleges—resulting in at least one person being shot, excluding the shooter. School property includes buildings, parking lots, athletic fields, stadiums, and school buses. Accidental discharges are also included, provided a person other than the shooter is injured. Incidents involving only law enforcement or school security personnel are excluded.
A Post-Pandemic Surge
The data shows that gun violence on school grounds declined sharply during 2020, when schools across the country were largely closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that decline proved temporary.
Since in-person learning resumed, school shootings have surged to record levels. Each year from 2021 through 2025 has set annual records for school shootings since at least 2008, when CNN began systematically tracking such incidents.
While 2024 saw at least 83 school shootings, making it one of the most violent years on record, 2022 stands out as one of the deadliest. That year recorded 47 fatalities, including the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two educators were killed, and more than a dozen others were wounded.
“These numbers reflect a structural crisis, not isolated tragedies,” said a gun violence researcher. “The consistency of the trend suggests that the conditions enabling school shootings remain firmly in place.”
How 2025 Compares So Far
As of December 13—the 347th day of the year—the U.S. has recorded 75 school shootings in 2025, putting it on pace to rival or exceed totals from previous years.
Education advocates warn that the steady drumbeat of violence has taken a toll on both students and educators. Across the country, students have organized protests and advocacy campaigns calling for stricter gun laws, while some teachers have cited safety concerns as a reason for leaving the profession altogether.
“Schools are meant to be places of learning and safety,” said a former high school teacher who left the classroom after a nearby shooting. “When that sense of safety disappears, it affects everything—from mental health to academic performance.”
Geographic Patterns
CNN’s long-term analysis reveals stark geographic disparities in school shooting rates. Several Southern states have recorded some of the highest rates of school shootings relative to population since 2008.
Washington, D.C., recorded the highest per-capita rate, with six school shootings, translating to nearly one incident per 100,000 residents. Texas has recorded the highest overall number of school shootings—65 incidents since 2008—reflecting both its large population and its permissive gun laws, according to analysts.
In contrast, only four states—Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Vermont—have recorded zero school shootings during the same period.
A notable milestone occurred on December 13, when a mass shooting at Brown University marked Rhode Island’s first school shooting since at least 2008, underscoring how even states with historically low gun violence are no longer immune.
A Growing National Reckoning
Public health experts increasingly frame school shootings as a preventable crisis rather than an inevitability. Research has consistently linked firearm access, lack of safe storage, and gaps in mental health support to gun violence on campuses.
“Every year without comprehensive reform normalizes the unacceptable,” said a public safety policy expert. “The data is not just a record of past violence—it’s a warning about what lies ahead if nothing changes.”
As lawmakers remain deeply divided over gun control, the growing body count and rising incident numbers continue to fuel calls for federal and state-level action. For students, parents, and educators, the statistics represent more than numbers—they reflect an ongoing reality of fear, trauma, and loss inside America’s schools, according to CNN.