What is considered a mass shooting in the United States?

Joe Harrington, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
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74 minutes, 8 seconds: Inside the police response to the Uvalde shooting

May 2022 has been marked by several mass shootings in the United States, including one in Uvalde, Texas, where 21 people were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School. Nineteen of the victims were children.

There is no exact definition of what a mass shooting is, but the Congressional Research Service defines it as multiple, firearm, homicide incidents, involving 4 or more victims at one or more locations close to one another.

The FBI has a similar definition. Most mass shooting statistics do not include ones undertaken by foreign terrorists.

The term "mass killings" has a similar definition.

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Why is there sometimes confusion of what is and isn't a mass shooting?

Last year, a USA Today opinion piece wrote that the confusion in reporting on mass shootings could stem from the inconsistency of the definition.

For example, Gun Violence Archive began tracking mass shootings differently than the FBI and Congressional Research Service. GVA started classifying a mass shooting as a shooting with four or more victims, but not necessarily killed.

This can sometimes lead to conflicting reports on the number of mass shootings.

How many U.S. mass shootings were there in 2021?

There were 693 mass shootings in 2021 in the United States, breaking a record from the previous year.

So far in 2022, there have been 213 mass shootings as of May 25.

The USA Today reported there were 611 mass shootings in 2020, an increase of 50% from the previous year.

There were 417 mass shootings in 2019.

How many U.S. school shootings have there been in 2022?

NPR reported on May 25 that 27 school shootings have taken place this year.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What is considered a mass shooting?