Omar Bennett
The definition of a mass shooting varies depending on the source. The US FBI defines a mass shooting as an active shooter incident in which one or more individuals [are] actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. However, the FBI's definition does not specify a minimum number of people shot. Other sources, such as the Gun Violence Archive, define a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are shot, excluding the perpetrator. This definition is widely used by major American media outlets and was referenced in reporting on the US's nearly 400 mass shootings in 2023.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of people shot | 4 or more |
| Number of people killed | 4 or more |
| Location | Public place |
| Shooter | One or more individuals |
| Motive | Not considered |
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What You'll Learn
The US FBI definition
In the United States, the FBI defines a mass shooting as "active shooter incidents" where there is "one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area". The definition implies that a firearm is used in the shooting. This definition does not include a specific number of victims, but it does specify that there must be multiple, firearm-related homicides.
The FBI's definition of a mass shooting is separate from that of other organisations. For instance, the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit organisation, defines a mass shooting as an event with a "minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed". This definition excludes the shooter if they were injured or killed during the incident. The Congressional Research Service also defines mass shootings as incidents involving four or more victims at one or more locations close to one another.
The lack of a consistent definition for a "mass shooting" has been noted by researchers as a challenge that hampers their work. The National Institute of Justice Journal article highlights that researchers use different terminology or types of criminal offences in their analyses due to the absence of a distinct mass shooting offence in federal criminal code.
The distinction between private and public mass shootings is also important to note. Mass shootings that occur in private dwellings, for example, are not included in the FBI's definition. Additionally, mass shootings undertaken by foreign terrorists are not included, regardless of the number of casualties or the location.
The threshold of four or more deaths used by some organisations is arbitrary, and it is important to note that homicides by means other than firearms are not counted as mass shootings. For example, if an individual uses a vehicle to purposely kill multiple people, it would not be considered a mass shooting because a firearm was not involved.
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Gun Violence Archive's definition
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is a non-profit, non-advocacy organisation that provides near real-time tweets of American gun violence incidents. It defines mass shootings using a purely statistical threshold: a minimum of four victims are shot or killed, not including the shooter. This definition is derived from established standards set by organisations like the CDC, FBI, and NIH. GVA does not differentiate victims based on the circumstances in which they were shot, giving equal importance to counting those injured or killed.
GVA's definition of mass shootings is distinct from that of the FBI, which does not define "mass shooting" but does define "mass murder" as including all forms of weapons, not just guns. GVA also presents the count of mass murder, which aligns with the FBI's definition of four or more victims killed, excluding the shooter.
GVA's definition of gun violence is intended to be fully inclusive of disparate elements of gun-related incidents. It includes all types of shootings, such as OIS, accidental shootings, children shooting themselves, murders, armed robberies, familicide, mass shootings, DGU, home invasions, drive-bys, and more. GVA defines DGU as "the reported use of force with a firearm to protect and defend oneself or family". It only logs DGUs that are verifiable by police sources, including media and police reports, and press conferences.
GVA's methodology aims to provide an unbiased, complete view of gun violence by including all verifiable incidents. It does not exclude or differentiate incidents based on the circumstances, ensuring equal importance is given to all victims. This approach helps provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of gun violence and allows researchers to access the data they need for their work.
It is important to note that GVA does not include suicides in its normal data collection procedures. Individual suicides are collected through the CDC's Annual Report, and due to privacy policies, they are only available as aggregate numbers without detailed information.
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Media outlets' definition
The definition of a "mass shooting" varies across media outlets, with some defining it as an incident in which four or more people are shot, while others use a threshold of five or more people. The lack of a consistent definition can lead to confusion and make it challenging to accurately understand the status of a shooting incident and the extent of casualties.
Mass Shooting Tracker, a crowdsourced data site cited by major media organizations like CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, defines a mass shooting as any incident where four or more individuals are shot, regardless of whether they are injured or killed. Similarly, the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit organization referenced by news outlets such as Reuters, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal, defines a mass shooting as an event with a "minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed," excluding the shooter. This definition has been used to report that the United States experienced nearly 400 mass shootings in a single year.
Other media outlets, like CBS, adopt a slightly different threshold, characterizing a mass shooting as an event involving the shooting of five or sometimes four people with no cooling-off period. The Congressional Research Service also aligns with this perspective, defining mass shootings as multiple firearm homicide incidents involving four or more victims at one or more locations in close proximity.
The distinction between public and private mass shootings is also important to note. The FBI defines an "active shooter" as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area, indicating a public setting. However, the FBI's definition of a mass shooting is less clear, and it does not specify a minimum number of casualties.
The varying definitions used by media outlets contribute to the public's perception of mass shootings as an epidemic. While mass shootings constitute a significant problem in the United States, it is important to accurately report both the increases and decreases in their occurrence. For instance, in 2025, there were zero public deadly mass shootings, a decline from previous years.
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The distinction between private and public mass shootings
There are varying definitions of what constitutes a mass shooting, with different organisations and countries using different definitions. The FBI defines a mass shooting as an event in which one or more individuals are "actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area". The Gun Violence Archive, a crime violence research group, defines a mass shooting as an incident in which a minimum of four victims are shot or injured, excluding the shooter. Other definitions include Mother Jones's definition, which is an indiscriminate rampage in a public place resulting in three or more victims killed by the attacker, excluding gang violence, armed robbery, and unidentified perpetrators. CBS defines a mass shooting as an event involving the shooting of five or more people, sometimes four, with no cooling-off period.
While there is no universal agreement on the number of people shot that constitutes a mass shooting, most definitions include a minimum of three or four victims. The focus of this response will be on the distinction between private and public mass shootings.
Public mass shootings typically occur in populated areas and are often indiscriminate in nature, with victims selected at random. These shootings usually occur in public locations such as schools, universities, workplaces, or public spaces. The perpetrators of public mass shootings often have a troubled past and leak their plans before carrying out the shooting. They are commonly motivated by a desire for revenge or fame and are usually disgruntled individuals seeking retribution for perceived failures in their lives. Many mass shooters have a history of domestic violence, and there is a noteworthy connection between mass shootings and domestic or family violence in the United States.
Private mass shootings, on the other hand, are typically defined as incidents that occur in connection with some other crime or domestic dispute. These shootings often involve victims who are members of the offender's family and are not attributable to other criminal activities. Domestic and gang-related mass shootings are contextually distinct from high-fatality indiscriminate killings in public venues, and some analysts argue that they should be treated separately. For example, Lott and Landes (2000) excluded felony-related shootings from their analysis of "mass public shootings," while Duwe, Kovandzic, and Moody (2002) excluded incidents where both the victims and perpetrators were involved in unlawful activities.
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The number of mass shootings in the US
There is no universally accepted definition of a mass shooting in the United States, with different researchers defining the term in different ways. The majority of definitions use a minimum of four victims as a threshold, excluding the perpetrator. For instance, the Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, irrespective of the number of fatalities or the motive. Similarly, the Mass Shooting Tracker defines a mass shooting as "an incident where four or more people are shot in a single shooting spree," including the perpetrator or police shootings of civilians around the perpetrator. CBS defines a mass shooting as an event involving the shooting of five or more people (sometimes four) with no cooling-off period.
The FBI's definition of a mass shooting refers to "active shooter incidents" in which "one or more individuals are actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area." Before 2013, a mass shooting was defined as any single attack in a public place with four or more fatalities. The Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012, signed into law in January 2013, defines a "mass killing" as the killing of at least three victims, excluding the perpetrator.
The lack of a consistent definition makes it challenging to determine the exact number of mass shootings in the US. According to a 2016 study, nearly one-third of the world's public mass shootings between 1966 and 2012 (90 out of 292 incidents) occurred in the United States. The New York Times recorded the same total of mass shootings for that period. A 2023 report published in JAMA covering 2014 to 2022 found that there had been 4,011 mass shootings in the US, most frequent in the southeastern US and Illinois.
From 1982 to September 2024, there were 151 mass shootings in the US, with 82 of them carried out by white shooters. During this period, the US witnessed several notable mass shootings, such as the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, and the Umpqua Community College shooting in 2015.
The US is not alone in experiencing mass shootings, as other countries have also endured similar tragedies. For instance, the Chongqing shooting in China in 1993, the 2011 Norway attacks, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India, all resulted in multiple fatalities.
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Frequently asked questions
The FBI defines a mass shooting as an "active shooter incident" where there is one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where at least four people (excluding the perpetrator) are shot, but not necessarily killed.
The Congressional Research Service defines a mass shooting as a multiple firearm homicide incident involving four or more victims at one or more locations close to one another.
Mother Jones defines a mass shooting as an indiscriminate rampage in a public place, resulting in three or more victims (excluding the perpetrator) killed by the attacker, excluding gang violence, armed robbery, and attacks by unidentified perpetrators.
