There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023, database shows

ByKiara Alfonseca ABCNews logo
Tuesday, September 5, 2023

There have been five mass shootings in the United States in the first four days of September so far.

The U.S. has experienced at least 484 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This averages out to almost two mass shootings a day.

Mass shootings are defined as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed, according to the archive.

Though mass shootings don't make up the majority of gun violence incidents in America, their impact on communities and victims is evident.

Incidents like the mass shootings in Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, continue to have cities in mourning and have sparked repeated calls for gun reform.

The Gun Violence Archive tracked roughly 645 mass shootings in 2022 and 690 in 2021.

At this time last year, the country had experienced 455 mass shootings.

Here's a look at some of the mass shootings seen so far this year:

Birmingham, Alabama

Two people are dead and three others injured in a shooting in Birmingham, Alabama. On Monday, Sept. 4, officials say a total of five victims arrived at UAB hospital with gunshot wounds. Three of the victims were fired upon while at UAB hospital, leading to damage to an emergency room door and a law enforcement patrol car.

Washington, D.C.

Nine people were injured in a drive-by shooting in Washington, D.C., early July 5 as residents were still celebrating the Fourth of July holiday, police said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. ET on Meade Street in the northeastern quadrant of the U.S. capital, according to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

All nine victims have non-life-threatening injuries. Two are children, ages 9 and 17, according to officials.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A suspect clad in a bulletproof vest and carrying a rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition opened fire in Philadelphia on July 3, killing at least five people and wounding two children, authorities said. The youngest of the deceased victims was only 15 years old.

Fort Worth, Texas

At least three people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting on July 3 following an annual July 4 event called ComoFest in Fort Worth, Texas, police said.

Baltimore, Maryland

At least 30 people were injured, two fatally, when a mass shooting erupted on July 2 in Baltimore at a neighborhood party.

The victims ranged from age 13 to 32. The deceased victims were later identified by police by the Baltimore Police Department as Aaliyah Gonzales, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20.

Dallas, Texas

Eight people were killed and seven others were injured when a gunman opened fire at an outdoor mall north of Dallas, Texas, on May 6, according to officials.

Atlanta, Georgia

One person was killed and four were injured in a mass shooting at an Atlanta medical center on May 3, police said.

Cleveland, Texas

Five people were killed after being shot in a Texas home by a suspect armed with an AR-15 style rifle in a horrific series of "execution style" shootings on April 28, police said.

Dadeville, Alabama

Four people were killed and 28 others injured when a mass shooting broke out at a crowded sweet 16 birthday party in rural Dadeville, Alabama, on the night of April 15, authorities said.

Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox has identified the four people declared dead from the shooting: 23-year-old Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 19-year-old Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 18-year-old Philstavious Dowdell and 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole Smith.

Louisville, Kentucky

Four people are dead and eight others, including two police officers, have been injured following a mass shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday morning, according to police.

Nashville, Tennessee

Three children and three staff members were shot and killed at a private school in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27, according to an official at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The shooting unfolded Monday morning at the Covenant School, a Christian school for students in preschool through sixth grade.

The suspect, who was identified as a 28-year-old by police, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers in a lobby area on the second floor of the school, police said at a news conference.

Michigan State University

Three people are dead and five others are injured after a shooting at multiple locations on Michigan State University's East Lansing campus on the night of Feb. 13, according to local police. The suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

Police initially received 911 calls of shots fired at 8:18 p.m. in Berkey Hall and located "several" victims there when responding, Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of MSU Police and Public Safety, said. Police then received a report of another shooting and responded to the MSU Union building, where they found other victims, according to Rozman.

Police are still working to determine the suspect's possible motive, the interim deputy chief said.

Oakland, California

At least one person is dead and seven more people were injured in a shooting in Oakland, California, on the night of Jan. 23.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motivation for this shooting.

The shooting in Oakland was the third mass shooting in California in just three days.

Half Moon Bay, California

At least 7 people were killed and several more were left seriously injured in a shooting at two locations in Half Moon Bay, California on Jan. 23.

The suspect has been identified as 67-year-old Chunli Zhao. The incident remains under investigation and a motive was unknown, the sheriff's office said.

"At this time, we are aware of eight victims, one who is deceased and the remaining victims were listed in stable condition," the OPD said.

Monterey Park, California

At least 11 people were killed, and 10 others injured after a gunman opened fire at a dance studio near a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California on Jan. 21.

Suspect Huu Can Tran, 72, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a white cargo van in Torrance that law enforcement officers had surrounded and forced their way into about 30 miles from where the massacre occurred, authorities said.

A motive for the Monterey Park shooting is not clear, according to authorities. According to law enforcement sources, domestic violence is one of the scenarios they are looking into.

Still, the mass shooting has compounded ongoing fears from Asian Americans following a rise of anti-Asian racism and violence, community members say.

Enoch City, Utah

A family of eight people, including five children, were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds in a Utah home on Jan. 4 after police conducted a welfare check, according to the officials in Enoch City, Utah.

According to City Manager Rob Dotson, a welfare check was called into the police department that evening.

Dotson indicated that police are unaware of a motive. He also said law enforcement from Enoch City, Iron County, Cedar City are cooperating in the investigation.

"We all know this family; many of us have served with them in church, and community, and gone to school with these individuals," Dotson said at a press conference. "And so this community at this time is hurting, they're feeling loss, they are feeling pain, they have a lot of questions which is natural."

Huntsville, Alabama

Eleven people were shot in an altercation that left two dead and three in critical condition, according to Huntsville ABC affiliate WAAY.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office said investigators arrested three 16-year-olds and two adults in connection with the shooting.

Related Topics