(NewsNation) — The FBI on Tuesday released a report that shows active shooter incidents decreased by 50% from 2023 to 2024.
The federal agency designated a total of 24 shootings as active shooter incidents in 2024. That number was down from 48 incidents the year before, according to a news release.
The FBI defines an “active shooter” as one or more people actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 223 active shooter incidents occurred in 43 states and the District of Columbia.
“While this represents a 70% increase in active shooter incidents from the previous five-year period (2015 to 2019), the data shows a downward trend overall,” the release stated.
The 2024 incidents occurred in 19 states and represented five location categories. Those categories included commerce, education, government, houses of worship and open space.
According to the FBI report, there were 106 casualties in the 2024 shootings, including 23 people killed and 83 wounded. The total represents a 57% decrease from 2023.
Texas had the most incidents, with four shootings, followed by California and North Carolina, which each saw two incidents. The highest number of shootings, five, occurred in June, followed by four in September.
Additional findings included:
- There were incidents on every day of the week, but the highest number, seven, occurred on Mondays.
- Incidents were more likely to occur in the morning.
- Twenty-two of the shooters were male and three were female. Only one incident involved more than one shooter.
- The shooters ranged in age from 14 to 73.
- A total of 29 firearms were used, including 17 handguns, nine rifles and three shotguns.
- In five of the incidents, the shooter was connected either to the location where it occurred or to at least one of the victims.
- Of the 25 shooters, 14 were taken into custody. Six died by suicide, and five were killed by police.