Between August 1982 and March 2026,
153
mass shootings have been carried out in the United States by male shooters. In contrast, only
six
mass shootings have been carried out by or involved a woman shooter.
Gun ownership in the U.S.
Possession of firearms in the United States is protected by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution and has been a defining aspect of American civil liberties since the writing of the Bill of Rights. It is estimated that the United States has the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world , and Americans continually poll against handgun restrictions .
Mass shootings
However, with high gun ownership comes high responsibility . The United States consistently faces numerous mass shootings each year, particularly in schools. The five deadliest mass shootings have all occurred since 2007 , with the deadliest being the Las Vegas Strip massacre in 2017, which claimed the lives of
58
people and injured
546
more.