By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The FBI on Wednesday revealed numbers showing a decline in active shooter situations and an increase in the number of victims shot in the United States during 2022.
The FBI defined an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area” but stressed that their report is not comprehensive.
Not included in the report were incidents involving self-defense, gang violence, drug violence, domestic disputes, hostage situations, and other illegal acts.
While there will be a drop from 2021 to 2022, an FBI official told reporters on a call that there has been an overall increase in the frequency of active shooter situations over the past 20 years, especially over the last five years.
There were 18% fewer active shooter incidents in 2022 compared to 2021, according to data released by the FBI on Wednesday, but the number of casualties increased from 243 to 313.
The number of people killed decreased from five in 2021 to twenty-one in 2022, while the number of injured police officers increased considerably.
With nine events, the month of May had the most shootings, with Sunday being the day with the most gun violence.
The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, was the deadliest occurrence of 2022, and Texas also had the most shootings overall.
The most significant casualties resulted from a shooting at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois, where a gunman wounded 55 people.
Nearly half of the occurrences happened in public places like the Fourth of July parade, 14 occurred in commercial establishments, and four occurred in educational institutions.
Only three of the fifty perpetrators were female; the youngest was 15, and the oldest was 70.
Most shooters were familiar with the site or the people inside, with the FBI reporting that roughly half of all shootings had a shooter who knew the target.
The FBI said perpetrators used 61 firearms in 50 incidents, including 29 handguns, 26 rifles, and three shotguns.
Key conclusions from the report include:
• Forty-seven men out of a total of 50 shooters. They were between the ages of 15 and 70.
• In over half of the events, the shooter had a known link to the area, the victim, or both.
• Four of the perpetrators wore body armor, and two served as snipers.
• A total of 61 firearms were used in the incidents, including 29 handguns, 26 rifles, three shotguns, and three undetermined weaponries.
• Six of the fifty active shooter incidents were reported in Texas, more than any other state.
• These shootings occurred in seven distinct settings, including open areas, commercial buildings, residences, educational institutions, government buildings, places of worship, and healthcare facilities.
