Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019 (original) (raw)
Related papers
Fatal school shootings and the epidemiological context of firearm mortality in the United States
Disaster Health, 2013
Background: The December 14, 2012 mass shooting at sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, connecticut, UsA, vaulted concerns regarding gun violence to the forefront of public attention. This high-visibility incident occurred within the epidemiological context of U.s. firearm mortality that claims more than 88 lives daily. Methods: National epidemiologic data on firearm deaths over two decades were analyzed along with data registries on school shootings in order to place the tragedy at sandy Hook in perspective. school shootings were classified as random or targeted. Results: The U.s. has the highest rates of firearm deaths, suicides, and homicides among the world's 34 "advanced economies." seventy percent of U.s. homicides and more than 50% of U.s. suicides are committed using a firearm. U.s. firearm homicide rates first declined, and then stabilized, during the past 23 years, 1990-2012. "shooting massacres" in school settings, a new phenomenon within the past 50 years, are extremely rare events. Over 23 years, 1990-2012, 215 fatal school shooting incidents resulted in 363 deaths, equivalent to 0.12% of national firearm homicides during that time period. Most episodes were "targeted" shootings in which the perpetrator intentionally killed a specific individual in a school setting. Only 25 of these 215 events (11.6%) were "random" or "rampage" shootings, resulting in 135 deaths (0.04% of national firearm homicides). Among these, just three shooting rampages-columbine High school, Virginia Tech University, and sandy Hook elementary school-accounted for 72 (53.3%) of these 135 deaths. The frequency of random/ rampage shooting incidents in schools has remained within the narrow range of 0 to 3 episodes per year. Conclusions: each year, more than 32,000 Americans die by firearms and more than 70,000 are wounded, representing a volume of preventable deaths and injuries that the U.s. government describes as a "public health crisis." school massacres, such as sandy Hook, occur periodically, galvanizing public reaction and bringing forth a collective call for intervention. epidemiological analyses position these infrequent, but uniquely compelling, incidents within the broader national patterns of gun violence. The intention is to inform the selection of a balanced, comprehensive set of effective remedies to address the daily death toll from firearm suicides and "targeted" firearm homicides that account for more than 99% of firearm fatalities as well as the rare, random, and sporadic rampage shootings in school or community settings.
Correlates of the Number Shot and Killed in Active Shooter Events
Homicide Studies, 2020
Active shooter events have captured the public’s attention since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Although there has been research on various aspects of these events, only a single study has attempted to identify factors that are related to the number of people injured or killed in these events. This study was limited in that it only considered the presence or absence of a semi-automatic rifle. This paper expands on the existing research by examining several other factors that may impact the total number of people shot or killed during active shooter events.
Psychology of Violence, 2015
In light of public concern about school shootings, this study examined the prevalence and offense characteristics of multiple casualty homicides across locations. Method: We used the FBI's National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to examine 18,873 homicide incidents involving 25,180 victims who were either killed or injured from 2005 through 2010. Results: Multiple casualty homicides were surprisingly common events, with approximately 22% of homicide incidents involving 2 or more victims. Multiple casualty homicides were much more common in residences (47%) versus schools (0.8%), but homicides in residences tended to have 1 victim (78%) rather than multiple victims (22%), whereas homicides in schools were about equally likely to have 1 victim (57%) or multiple victims (43%). Multiple homicides were more likely to involve firearms than weapons such as knives or blunt objects. Finally, there were statistical differences in offense characteristics for homicides with 1, 2, and 3 victims. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the public perception that schools are a high-risk location for homicides is inaccurate. Although concern about school shootings is understandable, the larger problem of multiple casualty shootings is more common in other locations which do not receive comparable media attention.
Fatal firearm-related injury surveillance in Maryland
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1998
Context: Maryland began a statewide firearm-related injury surveillance system in 1995. The system now focuses on firearm-related deaths; a system to monitor nonfatal injuries is being developed. The system is passive; it accesses, integrates, and analyzes data collected by Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Maryland State Police, and Division of Health Statistics.Objective: To evaluate the surveillance system’s ability to ascertain cases in the absence of a standard for the true number of cases.Design: Link records of the same firearm-related death captured by the surveillance system’s multiple data sources, comparing the rate of false positives and false negatives, and assessing errors in linkage variables.Setting: Maryland, 1991–1994.Participants: All deaths occurring in the state of Maryland as a result of a firearm-related injury.Main Outcome Measures: Sensitivity and positive predictive value.Results: The system is extremely sensitive, detecting 99.61% of cases, and it has a very high positive predictive value, with 99.87% of the cases identified from medical examiner’s office data being confirmed as actual cases.Conclusions: Maryland’s database of information from the medical examiner’s office is highly accurate for ascertaining firearm-related deaths that occur in the state. A unique identifier common across data sources would ease record linkage efforts, and improve the system’s ability to monitor firearm-related deaths.
Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2019
Background: There are no reports comparing wounding pattern in urban and public mass shooting events (CPMS). Because CPMS receive greater media coverage, there is a connation that the nature of wounding is more grave than daily urban gun violence. We hypothesize that the mechanism of death following urban GSWs is the same as has been reported following CPMS. Methods: Autopsy reports of all firearm related deaths in Washington, DC were reviewed from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. Demographic data, firearm type, number and anatomic location of GSWs, and organ(s) injured were abstracted. The organ injury resulting in death was noted. The results were compared to a previously published study of 19 CPMS events involving 213 victims. Results: 186 urban autopsy reports were reviewed. There were 171 (92%) homicides and 13 (7%) suicides. Handguns were implicated in 180 (97%) events. One hundred eight gunshots (59%) were to the chest/upper back, 85 (46%) to the head, 77 (42%) to an extremity, and 71 (38%) to the abdomen/lower back. The leading mechanisms of death in both urban firearm violence and CPMS were injury to the brain, lung parenchyma, and heart. Fatal brain injury was more common in CPMS events as compared to urban events involving a handgun. Conclusion: There is little difference in wounding pattern between urban and CPMS firearm events. Based on the organs injured, rapid point of wounding care and transport to a trauma center remain the best options for mitigating death following all GSW events.
Multi-victim school shootings in the United States: A fifty-year review
The Journal of Campus Behavioral Intervention, 2016
This study examined 64 school shooters who committed multi-victim attacks in the United States during the years 1966 through 2015. Results include demographic analysis of age, venues of attack , racial/ethnic identity, magnitude of attacks, and frequency of perpetrator suicide. Data is provided for the sample as a whole, as well as for different time periods to highlight trends over time. Notable results include numerous changes in post-Columbine attacks, including greater age range of perpetrators, more perpetrators who are not white males, increased fatalities, and increased suicide rates.
A Population-based Study of Fatal and Nonfatal Firearm-related Injuries
Academic Emergency Medicine, 1997
Objective: To determine population-based firearm-related morbidity and mortality for Allegheny County, PA (population = 1.3 million), for the year 1994. Methods: Fatalities were identified from a review of death certificates. To identify nonfatal cases, an active surveillance was conducted at all 24 acute care EDs in the county. The ED surveillance used 2 existing sources of case identification from each hospital to minimize undercount. Results: Firearms were the leading cause of injury death to county residents, accounting for 155 deaths. The crude mortality rate from firearms was 11.7/100,000. Black males aged 15-19 years were most at risk for a firearm fatality (293/100,000). There were 514 nonfatal firearm injuries, producing a case fatality rate of 23%. The highest age-specific rate for nonfatal firearm-related injuries treated in the county EDs was observed for black males aged 15-19 years (2,245/100,000), which is 58 times higher than the firearm-related injury rate for the entire county population (38.7/100,000). Conclusion: Firearm-related injury and death are a significant public health problem in Allegheny County. Although the crude mortality rate from firearms in the county is lower than the reported national rate, the observed rate for nonfatal injuries in the black youth of this community is the highest firearm injury incidence rate ever reported. Local surveillance of firearm-related injuries, including nonfatal events, is needed to more accurately demonstrate the magnitude of this problem.
School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1992 to 1994
JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1996
Context Despite the public alarm following a series of high-profile school shootings that occurred in the United States during the late 1990s, little is known about the actual incidence and characteristics of school-associated violent deaths. Objective To describe recent trends and features of school-associated violent deaths in the United States. Design, Setting, and Subjects Population-based surveillance study of data collected from media databases, state and local agencies, and police and school officials for July 1, 1994, through June 30, 1999. A case was defined as a homicide, suicide, legal intervention, or unintentional firearm-related death of a student or nonstudent in which the fatal injury occurred (1) on the campus of a public or private elementary or secondary school, (2) while the victim was on the way to or from such a school, or (3) while the victim was attending or traveling to or from an official school-sponsored event. Main Outcome Measures National estimates of risk of school-associated violent death; national trends in school-associated violent deaths; common features of these events; and potential risk factors for perpetration and victimization. Results Between 1994 and 1999, 220 events resulting in 253 deaths were identified; 202 events involved 1 death and 18 involved multiple deaths (median, 2 deaths per multiplevictim event). Of the 220 events, 172 were homicides, 30 were suicides, 11 were homicidesuicides, 5 were legal intervention deaths, and 2 were unintentional firearm-related deaths. Students accounted for 172 (68.0%) of these deaths, resulting in an estimated average annual incidence of 0.068 per 100000 students. Between 1992 and 1999, the rate of single-victim student homicides decreased significantly (P=.03); however, homicide rates for students killed in multiple-victim events increased (P=.047). Most events occurred around the start of the school day, the lunch period, or the end of the school day. For 120 (54.5%) of the incidents, respondents reported that a note, threat, or other action potentially indicating risk for violence occurred prior to the event. Homicide offenders were more likely than homicide victims to have expressed some form of suicidal behavior prior to the event (odds ratio [OR], 6.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.96-24.65) and been bullied by their peers (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.12-5.92). Conclusions Although school-associated violent deaths remain rare events, they have occurred often enough to allow for the detection of patterns and the identification of potential risk factors. This information may help schools respond to this problem.