Checking the news for school safety feels like a heavy, daily ritual for many of us. Honestly, it’s exhausting. You wake up, see a notification or a vague social media post, and immediately wonder, was there another school shooting today?
As of Tuesday, January 13, 2026, there have been no confirmed reports of a mass casualty school shooting in the United States.
That’s a relief to type.
But "no reports" doesn't mean the day was silent. While we haven't seen a major tragedy today, several high-profile security incidents and localized events at campuses across the country have kept local police and parents on edge. Just yesterday, January 12, there were several scares. At Riverside School in Cleveland and Upson-Lee High School in Georgia, law enforcement had to respond to incidents involving firearms, though fortunately, no one was killed or injured in those specific cases.
Understanding the "Today" Search
The term "school shooting" is used broadly by the public, but trackers like Education Week or the K-12 School Shooting Database use very specific filters.
Some groups count any time a gun is brandished on campus. Others only count when a bullet actually hits the building. Then you have the most strict definitions—like the ones used by Congressional researchers—that only look at "active shooter" situations where multiple people are targeted.
Because of these different rules, your news feed might look totally different from your neighbor's.
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One person sees a headline about a "shooting near a school" in Philadelphia—referencing the tragic event yesterday at Temple University's The View at Montgomery—and thinks it's a school shooting. Technically, that was an off-campus incident involving a student housing area, but it still triggers that "was there another school shooting today" panic.
Recent Trends in 2026
We are only thirteen days into the new year. So far, the data shows a strange mix of outcomes. David Riedman, a leading expert who founded the K-12 School Shooting Database, noted that while the sheer number of incidents with guns on campus has stayed high, the number of mass casualty events saw a slight dip toward the end of 2025.
That doesn't mean things are "fixed."
Not even close.
In the first two weeks of 2026, we've already seen several scares:
- January 11, 2026: A shooting at Smith Middle School in Beaumont, Texas. No injuries, but a suspect was arrested.
- January 10, 2026: An injury was reported at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan.
- January 8, 2026: Schools in Minneapolis were actually canceled due to safety concerns following a federal ICE operation that turned fatal nearby.
It's a lot to process.
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Why We Are Hyper-Vigilant
Social media has basically turned every local lockdown into a national news event. When a student at Strongsville High School in Ohio is caught with a weapon, like happened last Friday, it doesn't always make the nightly news in New York, but it spreads like wildfire on TikTok.
This creates a sense of "constant" violence.
Ken Trump, a veteran school safety consultant and president of National School Safety and Security Services, often points out that we are in an era of "security theater" vs. "security reality." Schools spend millions on facial recognition and AI cameras, yet many of these incidents start with a simple failure of "active supervision."
Teachers are stressed.
Students are anxious.
The question was there another school shooting today isn't just about data; it's about a collective trauma that makes every siren sound like a tragedy.
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What the Data Actually Tells Us
If you look at the stats from the Gun Violence Archive, the "mass shooting" count for 2026 is already climbing, with high-casualty events in places like Cedarbluff, Mississippi, where six people were killed on January 9. None of those victims were in a K-12 classroom, but the proximity to residential areas and churches often blurs the lines for the public.
Basically, the "school shooting" label is often a moving target.
Practical Steps for Parents and Educators
Knowing the facts is the first step to staying sane. If you see a rumor online, don't just repost it. Check a verified tracker or local police scanners first.
- Verify the source: If it's a "friend of a friend" on Facebook, wait for the local school district's official statement.
- Focus on situational awareness: Experts like Ken Trump suggest that the best defense isn't a high-tech gadget but adults who are actually looking and listening.
- Support staff decision-making: Schools need to empower teachers to make split-second calls without fearing they’ll get in trouble for "overreacting."
The reality of 2026 is that school safety is a work in progress. While today—January 13—has remained free of a major campus tragedy, the underlying issues haven't gone away. Staying informed is good, but spiraling into the "refresh button" trap is a quick way to burnout.
If you're looking for real-time updates, the K-12 School Shooting Database and Education Week’s tracker are the gold standards for accuracy. They don't just post for clicks; they wait for the police reports to clear.
For now, take a breath. The headlines are quiet today, and in this day and age, that’s a win.
Stay vigilant, keep an eye on your local district’s emergency notification system, and remember that "no news" is exactly what we’re all hoping for.