• Between 2000 and 2013, the FBI performed a study of the 160 active shooter incidents that took place in the United States. In these incidents, there was 486 lives lost as well as 557 wounded.
  • An average of 11.4 incidents took place every year, with an increasing trend. This alarming data point shows the ever growing chance of this incident occurring within your jurisdiction.
  • Nearly all active shooter events involve only 1 shooter. In fact, of all the 160 events studied by the FBI only 2 incidents involved more than 1 shooter.
  • In 40.6% of all active shooters studied during this timeframe, the shooting was over prior to police arrival. In fact, law enforcement has engaged a suspected active shooter with gunfire 28.1% of the time.
  • 60% of active shooters utilize pistols, followed by 27% utilizing rifles. In 41% of the events, the shooter had multiple weapons. Further data collected shows assailants have worn body armor in 4% of all events and utilized IED’s in 2%.
  • According to the Washington Post between 1/1/15 and 10/1/15, there were 294 mass shootings in only 274 days. The data categorized mass shootings into events where more than 4 people were injured or killed.
  • According to Newsweek, there have been 45 school shootings in 2015. This number would have been significantly higher if not for the early detection of potential attacks. Nearly all school shootings have an extensive planning period in which early detection can lead to the prevention of an attack. Some pre-attack indicators are; acquisition of new weapons, social media postings, as well as maps of the target. According to Dr. Gonzalez-Mayo from the VA Medical Center, 93% of all school shooters displayed some form of the above mentioned indicators prior to attacking.
  • In the month of October alone, there was multiple failed school shootings with at least 3 of these shootings involving more than 1 gunman. One incident was in Spotsylvania County involving 2 high school students who planned calling in a bomb scare. Other examples include 3 teenagers in Michigan who planned attacks on multiple schools, as well as 4 individuals planning an attack on a Northern California high school.

Bringing It Home

  • Rescue Task Force equipment should be designed in a specific way to treat the average number of victims in active shooting events. The median range found for these events are 0—5 injured and 0-5 killed.
  • Responding personnel should be mentally prepared to encounter various obstacles enroute to their RTF location.
  • IED’s as well as Fire utilized as a weapon are growing trends that can easily become a reality.

Download the PDF