School Climate & Safety Interactive

The School Shootings of 2018: What’s Behind the Numbers

By Education Week Staff — December 19, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

At the start of 2018, Education Week began keeping count of school shootings in which people were injured or killed. Incidents we count involve the discharge of a firearm, occur on K-12 school property or on a school bus or vehicle, and take place while school is in session or during a school-sponsored event. We do not count suicides and self-inflicted injuries. We do not track incidents in which the only shots fired were from a person authorized to carry a gun and who did so in their official capacity. Of the 35 people who died this year, 27 were killed in the mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas.

For the most recent data on school shootings, click here.

2018 TOTALS

v38 18 shooting tracker a

WHERE THE SHOOTINGS HAPPENED

School shootings happened in communities all over the United States in schools and districts of varying sizes. Most were not mass shootings like what took place in Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe, Texas. How shootings of all sizes affect students and staff who aren’t injured or killed—through exposure to trauma—is often overlooked.

Size of the dots correlates to the number of victims. Click on each dot for more information.

TIMES AND PLACES INCIDENTS OCCURRED

Schools are sometimes responsible for the safety of students outside the traditional school day and outside the school building, such as during sporting events.

v38 18 shooting tracker b

ABOUT THE 25 SUSPECTS

Because school shooters are often students, safety experts recommend that schools invest in prevention efforts, not just hardening security.

v38 18 shooting tracker d

THOSE KILLED IN SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN 2018

Thirty-five people died in school shootings in 2018. Of those, all but eight were killed in two mass shootings: the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and the May 18 rampage at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. The youngest people killed were 14 years old. The oldest victim was 64.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For media or research inquiries about this page, contact library@educationweek.org.

Contributors: Evie Blad, Stacey Decker, Hyon-Young Kim, Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, Lesli A. Maxwell, and Holly Peele
Design & Visualization: Marty Barrick
Images: Getty

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond 
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Teacher and Teen Student Killed in Wisconsin School Shooting
At least six others were injured in what is the 39th school shooting of 2024 in which someone was killed or hurt.
5 min read
Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where multiple injuries were reported following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.
Emergency vehicles parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where policy said a teenage student shot and killed a teacher and a classmate and injured several others on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.
Scott Bauer/AP
School Climate & Safety Opinion Give the Gift of Kindness: How to Create a Culture of Gratitude in Your School
In the season of thanks and celebration, a middle school teacher proposes spreading a little joy through notecards.
Debbie Adkins
4 min read
Hands holding and opened envelope.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School Climate & Safety Schools Are Bracing for Upheaval Over Fear of Mass Deportations
The threat of deportation "inhibits people's ability to function in society and for their kids to get an education,” says a legal expert.
4 min read
An American flag hangs in a classroom as students work on laptops in Newlon Elementary School, Aug. 25, 2020, in Denver.
An American flag hangs in a classroom as students work on laptops in Newlon Elementary School, Aug. 25, 2020, in Denver. Educators are preparing for the possibility of mass deportations when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But there will be consequences even if he doesn't follow through, educators and legal experts say.
David Zalubowski/AP
School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Reimagining School Safety: A Holistic Approach
This Spotlight will help you examine strategies to create safe learning environments that promote student well-being and academic success.