These sectors were most targeted by active shooters in 2024

The commercial and government sectors were behind only open space last year in locations chosen by active shooters to commit their crimes, the FBI said in its review of 2024 incidents.

The Bureau defines an active-shooter incident as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” In 2024, there were 24 incidents across 19 states; four of the active-shooter incidents identified in the report occurred in Texas, with two incidents each in California and North Carolina.

This is a decrease from the 48 incidents recorded in 2023, when 105 people were killed and 139 were wounded, excluding the shooters. Out of 49 shooters that year, only one was female.

Last year, 23 people were killed in active-shooter incidents and 83 were wounded. There were three female shooters and 22 male shooters.

A dozen active-shooter incidents in 2024 occurred in open spaces: on a roadway, in a neighborhood, in a commercial area, a rural area or a park. Three were killed and 42 were wounded in these shootings.

Four incidents occurred in places of commerce, resulting in 8 people killed and 15 wounded. Three of these locations were small businesses.

Four incidents also unfolded in educational settings, resulting in the highest location casualty average with 8 people killed and 23 wounded. Two shootings took place at high schools, one was at a K-8 school and one was at a K-12 school. Three of the four shooters were identified as insider threats: current students.

Government settings saw three incidents in which four people were killed and one was wounded. This included a shooting at a national park, one at a sheriff’s office and one on public transit. One shooter, an employee, was an insider threat.

There was also one active-shooter incident at a house of worship in which one person was wounded. It was the only one of the shootings studied to happen on a Sunday.

From 2020-24, there were 223 active-shooter incidents in the United States in which 369 people were killed and 701 were wounded, the FBI said. This number of incidents was a 70% increase from 2015-19.

Over the past five years, 41% of the incidents occurred in open spaces, 39% in commerce settings, 6% in educational settings, 5% in the government sectors, 5% at residences, 2% in healthcare and 2% at houses of worship.