Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there were fewer mass shootings in the U.S. during the first few months of 2024 compared to previous years.
The data reveals that as of May 7, there have been 150 mass shootings in 2024, which is down from 232 mass shootings at the same point in 2023. A mass shooting is defined as a shooting incident in which four or more people are wounded, not including the gunman.
2023 marked the fourth consecutive year that over 600 mass shootings were documented in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive's data. In 2019, 414 mass shootings were reported. The group said 335 mass shootings occurred in 2018.
If trends in 2024 hold, the U.S. would be on track to have about the same number of mass shootings as 2019.
Of the 232 mass shootings so far in 2024, 11 have been deemed mass killings, where at least four individuals, not including the suspect, were killed.
The deadliest mass shooting so far in 2024 came on Jan. 21, when eight people were killed in multiple locations outside of Chicago. The deadliest mass shooting in 2023 was in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25, when a gunman was accused of killing 18 people at multiple places before taking his own life.
The data could indicate that killings as a whole are declining. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a 13% drop in murders in the final three months of 2023 compared to 2022.
