Details of all 95 School Shootings in 2018
2018 was a record year for school shootings as reported by Time Magazine, National Public Radio, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera, VICE News, Slate, VOX, Governing Magazine, Campus Safety Magazine, Vogue, and GovTech. The number of incidents cited in these stories was based on data from the K-12 School Shooting Database that aims to include:
Each and every instance a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time of day, or day of week.
Based on this broad and inclusive definition of a ‘school shooting’, it is important to remember that there were not 95 incidents of indiscriminate attack like Columbine, Sandy Hook, or Marjory Stoneman. For example, 13 of the incidents in 2018 were accidents where a gun was fired at a school (including two times a police officer accidentally fired). While indiscriminate attacks are the most publicized type of incidents, disputes that escalated into shooting were the most common circumstance.
Casting a wide net to record as many different types of school shootings incidents is necessary to be able to gather large amounts of data to analyze in aggregate. The K-12 School Shooting Database is designed to be as inclusive as possible so that the end user is empowered to filter the information based on their specific area of focus. For example, someone who is interested in only studying teen suicides in schools, bullying, or gang violence can filter the data specifically for those types of school shooting incidents. A researcher who wants to look at incidents involving just current students can filter out all of the shootings on school property committed by parents, teachers, and other non-students. While this database uses this very expansive definition of a school shooting, the authors were very careful to design a format that would allow other researchers to query the database using different definitions, in order to avoid semantic disputes.
2018 Data
Even if we can’t agree on the definition of a ‘school shooting’, we can all agree that school shootings are a problem. The complexity of the issue becomes apparent by looking case by case at each example from 2018. While 95 incidents in a single year appears to be an alarming trend, there is not a clear connection between any of the incidents.
Shootings at schools in 2018 occurred in different cities, for completely different reasons, and at different times across the calendar year. Some were planned and others were spontaneous. Students, teachers, non-students, strangers, and ex-lovers were the perpetrators. In some cases, the school was specifically targeted due to grievances by the shooter and in others, random events led to a shooting occurring (e.g., bank robber chased to the school). Victims were both targeted and bystanders. Analyzing all of these different factors helps show the complexity of the issue.
Brief Summary of Each School Shooting Incident in 2018
1/4/2018 New Start High School — Seattle, WA
Damage to school property
1/9/2018 Coronado Elementary School — Sierra Vista, AZ
Suicide inside of school
1/16/2018 Montpelier High School — Montpelier, VT
Bank robber shot by officers outside of school
1/22/2018 Italy High School — Italy, TX
Shot ex-girlfriend after break-up
1/22/2018 NET Charter High School — New Orleans, LA
Drive-by shooting in front of school
1/23/2018 Marshall County High School — Benton, KY
Planned attack. Shooting was science experiment to see how people reacted; belief human life has no purpose.
1/25/2018 Murphy High School — Mobile, AL
Argument escalated into shooting
1/26/2018 Dearborn High School — Dearborn, MI
Fight in the hallway between students resulted in shooting in the parking lot
1/31/2018 Lincoln High School — Philadelphia, PA
Fight in parking lot after basketball game escalated into shooting
2/1/2018 Salvador B. Castro Middle School — Los Angeles, CA
Accidental discharge inside of student’s backpack
2/5/2018 Harmony Learning Center — Maplewood, MN
Student pulled trigger on gun in officer’s holster
2/5/2018 Oxon Hill High School — Oxon Hill, MD
Shooting during robbery in school parking lot
2/8/2018 The Metropolitan HIgh School — New York, NY
Single gun shot struck floor of classroom, student arrested
2/9/2018 Peal-Cohn High School — Nashville, TN
Gang related shooting in school parking lot
2/14/2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — Parkland, FL
Planned attack by former student
2/15/2018 North Broward Preparatory School — Coconut Creek,FL
Officer accidentally fired while responding to a call at the school
2/20/2018 Jackson Memorial Middle School — Massillon,OH
Planned attack, walked out of bathroom with gun then immediately back in, shot himself in head
2/26/2018 Oakland High School — Tacoma,WA
Gun discharged in bathroom striking floor while showing it to other students, students fled
2/28/2018 Dalton High School — Dalton,GA
Teacher with gun barricaded in classroom, surrendered to SRO after being talked down
3/5/2018 Kingston High School — Cadet, MO
Student shot self (suicide) in bathroom
3/7/2018 Huffman High School — Birmingham, AL
Accidental discharge while showing off gun
3/9/2018 Frederick Douglass High School — Lexington, KY
Student shot self in hand with firearm in classroom while showing weapon to other students.
3/13/2018 Seaside High School — Seaside, CA
Accidental discharge during teacher’s gun safety demonstration
3/13/2018 George Washington Middle School — Alexandria, VA
Accidental discharge while SRO was cleaning weapon
3/16/2018 Big Sky High School — Missoula, MT
SRO firing at student in vehicle in the parking lot
3/19/2018 Douglass Park Elementary School — Portsmouth, VA
Adult shot outside of school picking up student
3/20/2018 Great Mills High School — Great Mills, MD
Shot girlfriend then self in school hallway after recent break-up
3/28/2018 Eupora High School — Eupora, MS
Fired shots from dirt bike at high school building
4/9/2018 Gloversville Middle School — Gloversville, NY
Shooter chased victim around school with BB gun
4/12/2018 Rayton South Middle School — Rayton, MO
Parent shot in parking lot
4/19/2018 Jackson High School — JacksonMI
Two shots struck windows of occupied classroom
4/20/2018 Forest High School — Ocala, FL
Planned attack on school by heavily armed shooter
4/23/2018 Benjamin E. Mays High School — Atlanta, GA
Shot fired into air during a verbal argument between male and female students
5/3/2018 Waynesboro Elementary School — Waynesboro, TN
Gun accidentally fired in the bathroom
5/3/2018 Enemy Swim Day School — Waubay, SD
School employee shot while walking around property, motive unknown
5/11/2018 Highland High School — Palmdale, CA
Shot fired into air during argument between students
5/16/2018 Dixon High School — Dixon, IL
Shots fired during graduation rehearsal by shooter who was bullied
5/17/2018 Central High School — Kansas City, MO
Shooting during fight at school graduation
5/18/2018 Santa Fe High School — Santa Fe, TX
Planned attack after bullying, 30 minute standoff with police before surrendering
5/18/2018 Mount Zion High School — Atlanta, GA
Shots fired during argument in school parking lot
5/21/2018 Beaverbrook Elementary School — Griffin, GA
Woman shot in parking lot
5/25/2018 Noblesville West Middle School — Noblesville, IN
Planned attack by student, stopped by teacher
6/1/2018 McKinney North High School — McKinney, TX
Student commit suicide in classroom
6/15/2018 Valley Elementary School — Beaver Creek, OH
Shot fired during domestic dispute on basketball court
6/17/2018 Grant High School — Portland, OR
Man found dead from GSW on the outdoor track
6/21/2018 Skyline High School — Dallas, TX
Victim shot while walking around track at school football field
6/24/2018 Sentinel High School — Missoula, MT
Two teens shot outside gym during open basketball practice, shooter fled; shooter and suspects had planned meeting just prior to shooting
6/25/2018 Fulton Elementary School — Springfield, MO
Attempted robbery in school parking lot, gun jammed when shooter fired, victim ran over shooter with car
7/1/2018 Raineshaven Elementary School — Memphis, TN
Victim shot in vehicle and crashed into school building
7/3/2018 Sunrise Point Elementary School — Overland, KS
Two construction contractors shot by coworker during argument at school
7/11/2018 Milkovich Middle School — Maple Heights, OH
Shots fired during large fight between teens
7/17/2018 Hurricane High School — Hurricane, WV
Shot fired during argument behind the school
7/19/2018 West Valley Middle School — Yakima, WA
Man found dead from GSW in vehicle outside of school
8/4/2018 Edgewood High School — Edgewood, MD
Man found dead in vehicle in school parking lot (GSW)
8/17/2018 Palm Beach Central High School — Wellington, FL
4 shots fired during fight at football game under bleachers
8/24/2018 Raines High School — Jacksonville, FL
Two students from rival school and former student shot after football game
8/24/2018 Metro East Lutheran High School — Chicago, IL
Gang related shooting outside stadium gate prior to football game, 30–50 shots fired, game cancelled
8/28/2018 Cole Middle School — Denver, CO
Shooting outside of school, school locked down
8/29/2018 Towne Point Elementary School — Dover, DE
Adult male found shot dead outside of school, killed by school janitor
8/30/2018 Villa Heights Elementary School — Charlotte, NC
Woman shot at in parking lot by ex-boyfriend while dropping off child
8/30/2018 Ottawa Hills High School — Grand Rapids, MI
Two non-student teens shot at during drive-by outside of school
8/31/2018 North Scott Junior High School — Eldridge, IA
Shooter was a student who attempted to shoot the teacher in class
9/3/2018 Luisa Pineiro Fuentes School of Science and Discovery — New York, NY
Non-student killed during argument outside of school (closed for holiday)
9/5/2018 Providence Career and Technical Academy — Providence, RI
Shots during fight outside school
9/9/2018 Gilroy High School Gilroy, CA
Officer shot a vehicle driving recklessly on football field
9/10/2018 Chatham Academy High School — Chicago, IL
Shooter in ski mask got out of vehicle and fired multiple shots at three students leaving school
9/10/2018 Fairley High School — Memphis, TN
Three shots were fired a school bus, 15YOF student injured
9/11/2018 Canyon Springs High School — Las Vegas, NV
Student shot on baseball field during altercation
9/14/2018 Boynton Beach High School — Boynton Beach, FL
Two students had gun at bus stop, one shot fired, went to school, school locked down until gun was located
9/14/2018 Mariner High School — Everett, WA
Shots fired in parking lot during football game, stadium evacuated
9/17/2018 Blossomwood Elementary School — Huntsville, AL
Student showing gun off in gym class, accidental discharge
9/20/2018 CHAMPS Charter High School — Los Angeles, CA
Shooting at fast food restaurant directly across from school, student and employee struck ran back to school
9/24/2018 Lawrence Orr Elementary School — Charlotte, NC
Multiple shots fired at vehicle after child was dropped off
9/24/2018 Central High School — Philadelphia, PA
Student killed in cross fire of shooting outside of school
9/26/2018 Maree Garnett Farring Elementary/Middle School — Baltimore, MD
Two students playing with gun in school bathroom.
9/27/2018 Hebron High School — Carrollton, TX
Adult male shot in chest at football game during argument
10/2/2018 Chicot Elementary School — Little Rock, AR
6 bullets stuck the school building, no injuries
10/3/2018 Denali Montessori Elementary School — Anchorage, AK
Adult male victim shot by another adult male in front of school during domestic dispute
10/4/2018 Jason Lee Elementary School — Portland, OR
Parent’s gun discharged in cafeteria while picking up daughter
10/5/2018 Haywood High School — Brownsville, TN
Two victims shot in school parking lot during football game
10/5/2018 Lake Taylor High School — Norfolk, VA
Shots fired during fight after football game in school parking lot
10/13/2018 McGavock High School — Nashville, TN
Drive-by shooting in school parking lot
10/25/2018 Cody High School — Detroit, MI
Student shot at on school property, shots missed
10/29/2018 Butler High School — Matthews, NC
Escalated fight the previous day involving multiple students
11/4/2018 Crums Lane Elementary School — Louisville, KY
Two men in their 20s shot outside of school by unknown shooter
11/5/2018 Academy of Hope — Conway, SC
Student fired bb gun at other student in classroom
11/8/2018 Cleveland Elementary School — Santa Barbara, CA
Shot during robbery outside of school
11/20/2018 Simonsdale Elementary School — Portsmouth, VA
Parent’s concealed weapon discharged striking other parent
11/21/2018 Pentwater Public School — Pentwater, MI
Adult male fired BB gun and broke multiple windows at the school
11/22/2018 Mount Rainier High School — Des Moines, WA
Man shot during argument following pick-up football game
11/22/2018 Skyline High School — Dallas, TX
17YOM shot outside of school building
11/28/2018 Strawberry Mansion High School — Philadelphia, PA
Stray bullet broke window of school, school locked down
12/11/2018 Cawood Elementary School — Cawood, KY
20YOM and 15YOF shot with pellet gun in parking lot of school
12/13/2018 Dennis Intermediate School — Richmond, IN
14YOM planned attack on the school but was confronted by police on-scene thanks to a tip and commit suicide
12/14/2018 Winnetonka High School — -Kansas City, MO
Student fired gun into air in parking lot. School locked down.
What do the record number of incidents in 2018 mean?
It’s too early to draw definitive conclusions from this year’s data. Trend analysis that determines if 2018 was an anomaly, or the start of a new norm, will need to be completed many years in the future. While we don’t have findings to offer now, it is important to continue collecting as much data as possible with a consistent methodology so that we can objectively analyze this issue as it continued to develop in the future.
The K-12 School Shooting Database is a product of the Homeland Security Advanced Thinking Program (HSx) sponsored by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Follow us on twitter @k12ssdb.
David Riedman is an co-founder of the K-12 SSDB and expert in critical infrastructure protection, homeland security policy, and emergency management.
