The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines a mass shooting as a fatal shooting involving three or more victims.
Mass shootings that occur in public (rather than in a residence) have become increasingly common in the United States. The rise in public mass shootings began in the 1980s and coincides with the rapid increase in the sale of semiautomatic weapons with detachable high-capacity ammunition magazines. As the gun industry sells and markets firearms designed for increased lethality, mass shooters purchase these same weapons to use in their attacks.
VPC research has also found that mass shootings are not infrequently committed by individuals with permits to carry concealed handguns. VPC’s Concealed Carry Killers database has identified at least 37 mass shootings since 2007 involving persons with concealed carry permits.
Fact Sheets
Mass Shootings Involving Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
Mass Shootings in the United States Involving Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines
Mass Shooting Investigative Reports Library
The Violence Policy Center Mass Shooting Investigative Reports Library collects post-shooting investigations conducted by local, state, and federal entities and related court documents. These reports are often exhaustive and rich in detail about the types and sources of firearms and accessories used in the attacks, as well as the motivations of the shooter and the impact of the incidents on affected communities. The reports can help researchers, advocates, and the general public better understand the phenomena of public mass shootings and aid in identifying effective measures to prevent such tragedies.
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas, May 24, 2022
Texas House of Representatives, Investigative Committee Report On the Robb Elementary Shooting
King Soopers Grocery Store, Boulder, Colorado, March 22, 2021
Affidavit for Arrest Warrant
District Attorney Report on Shooting
Dayton, Ohio, August 4, 2019
Wal-Mart, El Paso, Texas, August 3, 2019
Superseding Indictment of Shooter
Gilroy Garlic Festival, Gilroy, California, July 28, 2019
Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, May 31, 2019
Virginia Beach Police Department Final Investigation Summary Report
Borderline Bar & Grill, Thousand Oaks, California, November 7, 2018
District Attorney Report
Ventura County Sheriff Report
Yountville Veteran’s Home, Yountville, California, March 9, 2018
District Attorney Report
California Highway Patrol Report
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida, February 14, 2018
Public Safety Commission Initial Report
First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Sutherland Springs, Texas, November 5, 2017
U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General’s Report
Route 91 Harvest Festival, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 1, 2017
Las Vegas Police Report
FBI Behavioral Unit Report
FBI Vault documents
Baton Rouge Law Enforcement Shooting, Baton Rouge, July 17, 2016
Pulse Nightclub, Orlando, Florida, June 12, 2016
FBI Investigative Update Part 1
FBI Investigative Update Part 2
San Bernardino Inland Regional Center, San Bernardino, California, December 2, 2015
U.S. Department of Justice/Police Foundation Incident Review
District Attorney Report
Navy Operational Support Center & Marine Corps Reserve Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee, July 16, 2015
Santa Monica, California, June 7, 2013
Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Connecticut, December 14, 2012
State’s Attorney Report
Sandy Hook Advisory Commission Final Report
FBI Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Report Part 1
FBI Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Report Part 2
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, Wisconsin, August 5, 2012
FBI Report Part 1
FBI Report Part 2
FBI Report Part 3
FBI Report Part 4
FBI Report Part 5
FBI Report Part 6
FBI Report Part 7
FBI Report Part 8
FBI Report Part 9
FBI Report Part 10
FBI Report Part 11
FBI Report Part 12
Century Aurora 16 Movie Theater, Aurora, Colorado, July 20, 2012
City of Aurora After Action Report
Hartford Distributors, Manchester, Connecticut, August 3, 2010
Manchester Police Incident Report
ABB, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, January 7, 2010
St. Louis Police Incident Report
American Civic Association, Binghamton, New York, April 3, 2009
Broome County After Action Report & Improvement Plan
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, February 14, 2008
Northern Illinois University Incident Report
New Life Church, Arvada, Colorado, December 9, 2007
Arvada Police Department Supplemental Report
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, April 16, 2007
Virginia Tech Review Panel Incident Report
Mail Processing Plant, Goleta, California, January 6, 2006
Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department Incident Report
Edgewater Technology Inc., Wakefield, Massachusetts, December 26, 2000
Commonwealth v. McDermott, Massachusetts Supreme Court Decision
Xerox, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 2, 1999
State v. Uyesugi, Hawaii Supreme Court Decision
Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado, April 20, 1999
Colorado Governor’s Columbine Review Commission Report
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Incident Report
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Final Report
Jefferson County SWAT Report
Fairchild Air Force Base Hospital, Spokane, Washington, June 20, 1994
Department of the Air Force Report of Investigation
Cleveland Elementary School, Stockton, California, January 17, 1989
California Attorney General Report
Palm Bay Shopping Center, Palm Bay, Florida, April 23, 1987
Cruse v. State, Florida Supreme Court Decision
