How Many School Shootings?

When you hear the words “school shooting” what kind of scenario comes to your mind?  Perhaps you’re like me and you imagine a crazed gunman, armed with multiply weapons and extra ammunition, coming into a school with the specific intent to shoot as many students and support staff as possible, leaving multiple dead and wounded in his wake.  Names like Columbine, Sandy Hood, and Parkland spring to mind.  However, CNN has a broader, or perhaps looser, definition.  You may have read or heard the claim that the recent Santa Fe shooting was 

THE 22^nd SCHOOL SHOOTING THIS YEAR!  MORE THAN ONE A WEEK!

I am not being dismissive of the deaths or injuries described below (okay, #14 and #15 yes, and maybe #9).  I’m just asking that you look at these 17 incidents and decide for yourself whether you think they fit into the public’s current perception of a school shooting.  If they don’t, then I think the logical question to ask is:  why would CNN and others want to exaggerate the problem by over 300%?  Is there an agenda that benefits from grossly overstating this issue?

#1 - January 20: Winston Salem, North Carolina

A Winston-Salem State University football player was shot at a party at “The Barn” which is an event space located on the campus of Wake Forest University.  Police say a fight broke out and that's when the victim was fatally shot.  There were an estimated 475 people in attendance, including non-students.  [WFMY News]

#2 - January 22: Italy, Texas

“A 15-year-old girl who was wounded in the Italy High School shooting is ‘in good spirits,’ and the 16-year-old boy suspected of opening fire in the cafeteria has been charged as a juvenile with aggravated assault. . . .  [A student at the school] said the girl who was shot had moved to the school district a few months earlier. She said the girl had briefly dated the suspect, but that she did not know much about her.  [The] Ellis County sheriff . . . said authorities would inquire about any dating history involving the two as part of the investigation.”  [Associated Press]

#3 - January 31: Philadelphia

“[A] 32-year-old man . . . was shot and killed outside Lincoln High School in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. . . .  911 calls came in reporting a large fight and shots fired in the school's parking lot around 3:51 p.m.  [The victim] was shot and mortally wounded in the parking lot during a school basketball game.  Police say there was an enormous fight outside among dozens of people. Many believed to be students from rival schools.”  [WPVI-TV]

#4 - February 1: Los Angeles

“A 12-year-old girl faces two felony counts in connection with a shooting at a middle school that left four students and an adult injured, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said Friday.  ‘This continues to be an active investigation,’ according to an LAPD statement. ‘However, at this time, the information suggest [sic] that this was an isolated incident, involving the negligent discharge of a firearm. . . .’”  [CNN]

#5 - February 5: Oxon Hill, Maryland

“Prince George’s County Police detectives identified and charged two teenagers in connection with a non-fatal shooting outside of Oxon Hill High School on Monday.  The teenage victim, who is a student at the school, was treated and released from the hospital several hours later.  The preliminary investigation reveals the victim got into an SUV with the suspects. While inside of the SUV, the victim was shot.  [R]obbery may be a motive in this case.”  [PGPD News]

#6 - February 9: Nashville

According to police, a 14 yo student, who was acquainted with victim, shot him five times outside Pearl-Cohn High School Friday just after dismissal at 2:30 p.m.  The 17 yo victim was not a student at Pearl-Cohn but instead at W.A. Bass Learning Center.  [WSMV.com]

#7 - February 24: Savannah, Georgia

“A person was shot on the campus of Savannah State University and taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. Neither the victim nor the shooter were university students. . . .”  [CNN]

#8 - February 27: Itta Bena, Mississippi

“Mississippi Valley State University officials say one person, who is not a student, suffered a gunshot wound just before 7 p.m. Tuesday night in the Charles Lackey Recreation Center on the MVSU Campus.  Early reports indicate there was a disagreement between a small group and at some point, one of them fired a weapon.”  [WTVM.com]

#9 - February 27: Norfolk, Virginia

“[A student] said he was in his room doing homework around 1 a.m. when he heard a loud noise from an adjacent dorm room and noticed he had been shot in the behind.  [The student] was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries but has since been released.  There were no other injuries.”  [News 3]

#10 - March 2: Mount Pleasant, Michigan

“A Michigan college student [was] accused of killing his parents at a campus residence hall . . . following a family-related domestic dispute at Central Michigan University, authorities said.”  [CNN]

#11 - March 7: Jackson, Mississippi

A student was shot inside a dormitory at Jackson State University.  His injuries were not life-threatening.  [CNN]

#12 - March 7: Birmingham, Alabama

One student was killed and another critically wounded after an accidental (according to police) shooting during dismissal time at Huffman High School.  [CNN]

#13 - March 8: Mobile, Alabama

One person, who was not a USA student, was hospitalized after a shooting, at around 7:30 p.m., at an apartment building on the campus of the University of South Alabama.  [AL.com]

#14 - March 13: Seaside, California

A teacher accidentally discharged a gun during a public safety class at Seaside High School.  The teacher “pointed his gun into the ceiling and accidentally fired it. . . .  A 17-year-old student was injured by a bullet fragment or by debris that fell from the ceiling. . . .  The injuries appeared superficial, police said.”  [CNN]

#15 - April 9: Gloversville, New York

A high school student shot another high school student with a BB gun at Gloversville Middle School.  “The alleged victim . . . suffered a minor injury of bruising and pain, according to police.”  The incident happened in a Monday, but wasn’t reported to school officials or the police until the next day.  [The Daily Gazette]

#16 - April 12: Raytown, Missouri 

A man (not identified as school staff, or even a parent) received a non-fatal gunshot to the stomach while in the parking lot of Raytown South Middle School.  The incident took place during a track meet that was being held after regular school hours.  [KCTV News]

#17 - April 20: Ocala, Florida

“A student was wounded in a shooting Friday morning at a high school in Ocala, Florida. . . .  The incident occurred shortly before students were to walk out as part of a national protest against gun violence.  The 17-year-old Forest High School student, who was shot in the ankle, was in good condition at a hospital with a wound not considered life threatening, officials said.  The suspect . . . was . . . a former Forest High School student. . . .  The motive is unclear.”  [CNN]