Honestly, the first thing you notice when you try to look up the number of school shootings this year is that nobody seems to agree on the count. You’ll see one headline saying we've had dozens, while another source insists the number is basically zero. It’s frustrating. It feels like someone is lying to you, but usually, it's just a matter of how people define "shooting."
As of mid-January 2026, the data is still emerging, but we can look at the trajectory. Last year, 2025, ended with 233 incidents according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. That was actually a massive drop—about 23%—from the record highs we saw in 2023. We’re starting 2026 with a lot of questions about whether that downward trend is going to stick or if it was just a temporary blip.
Tracking the number of school shootings this year
So far in 2026, major trackers like Education Week are reporting zero school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths as of the second week of January. That sounds like amazing news. But if you hop over to the Gun Violence Archive, you might see "incidents" listed that Education Week doesn't count.
Why the disconnect?
Education Week is very specific. They only count incidents where a person (other than the shooter) is killed or injured by a firearm on K-12 school property while school is in session or during a school event. The K-12 School Shooting Database, run by researcher David Riedman, is much broader. They count every single time a gun is brandished, fired, or a bullet hits school property—even if it’s a suicide in the parking lot at 3:00 AM on a Sunday.
The 2025 context
To understand where we are now, you have to see where we just came from.
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- 2023: 352 incidents (The all-time high).
- 2024: 276 incidents.
- 2025: 233 incidents.
It’s a decline. A real one. But 233 is still a staggering number of times a gun was pulled out on a campus.
What the 2026 data actually represents
Numbers are cold. They don't tell you about the 17-year-old in Mississippi who was shot after a homecoming game last October, or the accidental discharge in a car during dismissal in Georgia. These aren't always the "active shooter" massacres that make international news. In fact, according to the GAO, only about 14% of gun violence on school property is a "targeted" school shooting.
Most of what makes up the number of school shootings this year—and every year—are escalations of fights, gang-related violence that spills over onto campus, or accidents.
Where and when it happens
You’d think the classroom is the most dangerous spot. It's actually not. Statistics from 2025 show that nearly 60% of incidents happen at high schools, but they often occur in parking lots, at sporting events, or during dismissal.
- Morning classes: 513 historical incidents.
- Sports events: 385 incidents.
- Dismissal time: 376 incidents.
It’s about those "transitional" moments. When kids are moving between places, supervision is thinner, and tempers flare.
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Why the numbers might be dropping
There isn't one single reason why 2025 saw a 23% drop, but experts like Ken Trump have some theories. Schools are getting better at "situational awareness." It's not just about metal detectors or expensive AI cameras—though those are being installed everywhere. It’s about teachers actually being present on the playground instead of looking at their phones.
Some states are seeing huge exposure rates while others stay quiet. Delaware and Utah, for instance, have had surprisingly high rates of student exposure per capita recently. It’s not always the big states like Texas or California that feel the most impact relative to their size.
The "Sixth Sense" of Educators
Teachers are basically trained to spot abnormalities now. If a car is in the pickup line that shouldn't be there, or if a student who is usually bubbly suddenly goes dark, people are speaking up. The Secret Service found that in 94% of cases, shooters shared their intent with someone else beforehand. The "See Something, Say Something" campaigns are finally starting to produce measurable results in the data.
The hidden cost of the "incidents"
Even when the number of school shootings this year stays low, the trauma doesn't. Research from the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research shows that students at schools where a shooting happened are 27.8% more likely to become chronically absent.
Their test scores drop.
They are more likely to need antidepressants.
There is a literal "lost lifetime earnings" figure of about $100,000 per survivor because of the long-term psychological impact on their careers.
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Actionable steps for parents and educators
We can't just stare at the trackers and hope the line stays down. There are specific things that actually work, according to the data we have right now.
Secure the "Transitional" Zones
Since so many shootings happen in parking lots and during dismissal, schools need to beef up adult presence during these specific times. It's not about more police; it's about more eyes.
Trust the Gut, Not Just the Tech
Technology fails. AI gun detection is great, but it doesn't replace a teacher who knows a student is in crisis. Encourage a culture where "reporting" isn't "snitching"—it's help.
Safe Storage at Home
The K-12 School Shooting Database shows that most school shooters are current or former students (about 45%). Many of them get their guns from home. 4.6 million kids in the US live in a house with a loaded, unlocked firearm. Lock it up.
Monitor the "Leakage"
Since 94% of shooters talk about their plans, monitoring social media and school-based reporting apps is the most effective way to stop an incident before it becomes a statistic in this year's count.
The number of school shootings this year is a metric we all want to see hit zero. While the downward trend from 2023 to 2025 gives us a sliver of hope, the work of hardening the "soft" spots of school culture—the relationships and the supervision—is what will actually keep the 2026 numbers in check.