School Shootings in the United States Since 2000

Nov 06, 2025 0

This chronological list includes school shootings in the United States since the year 2000. It encompasses incidents that occurred at K-12 public and private schools, as well as at colleges and universities, and on school buses. Non-fatal accidental shootings are also included.

2000

Killing of Kayla Rolland: At Buell Elementary School, a 6-year-old boy fatally shot 6-year-old girl classmate Kayla Rolland.
Lake Worth Middle School: 13-year-old honor student Nathaniel Brazill was sent home for throwing water balloons, but returned to his Lake Worth Middle School with a family pistol.
2000 University of Arkansas shooting: 36-year-old James Easton Kelly, a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at University of Arkansas, killed 67-year-old John R. Locke, the English professor overseeing his coursework. Kelly had been dismissed from this PhD program due to a lack of progress toward his degree.
Mount Healthy North Junior High School: A 14-year-old student fired a gun into the ceiling inside a classroom.
Carter G. Woodson Middle School: 13 year-olds Darrel Johnson and Alfred Anderson were initially charged with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of 15 year-old William Pennington. Pennington, after being shot, gained control of the gun and shot Johnson in the back. Charges were later reduced to aggravated battery. To prevent violence, Carter G. Woodson Middle School had students pass through metal detectors at the time.
Balboa High School: At Balboa High School, one 15-year-old student was shot in the hip when a student showing it off had the gun discharge somehow, wounding the other person while inside a classroom.
Santana High School shooting: 15-year-old student Charles Andrew Williams killed two students, 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon, at Santana High School. In total, he wounded thirteen others. Williams was arrested and convicted of murder and attempted murder.
Pacific Lutheran University: 40-year-old music instructor and organist James D. Holloway was shot multiple times with a .22-caliber handgun at Pacific Lutheran University by a 55-year-old man from Tacoma. The shooter was not a student or employee of the university and also killed himself.
Martin Luther King, Jr. High School: 17-year-old Vincent Rodriguez wounded two students at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Manhattan with a semi-automatic pistol. He retaliated against the people who had harassed his girlfriend.
Appalachian School of Law shooting: Recently dismissed graduate student 42-year-old Peter Odighizuwa killed three people at the Appalachian School of Law: 42-year-old dean Anthony Sutin, 41-year-old professor Thomas Blackwell, and 33-year-old student Angela Dales.
Washington High School: 16-year-old Washington High School student, Joseph Johnson Jr., was killed by then 22 years old Phillip D.

2002

Beltway sniper attacks: In the Beltway sniper attacks, one victim of several was 13-year-old Iran Brown, who was wounded as he arrived at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Maryland. His aunt, a nurse who had just dropped him off, rushed him to a hospital emergency room. Despite serious injuries, Brown survived the attack. The shooters, Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad, were later convicted of numerous unrelated murders committed during their killing spree.
2002 University of Arizona shooting: Failing nursing college student and Gulf War veteran, 40-year-old Robert Stewart Flores Jr., killed three assistant professors of nursing at the University of Arizona; this included 50-year-old Robin Rogers, 44-year-old Cheryl McGaffic, and 45-year-old Barbara Monroe.
Lincoln High School: A 15-year-old student was shot in the abdomen and wounded inside the basement of Lincoln High School during an argument with another student.
Wind River Middle School: 13-year-old Wind River Middle School student Tony Fiske fired a rifle round into a classroom, wounding two students with broken glass.
Cardozo High School: A 10th-grader was shot in the leg near Cardozo high school in Columbia Heights, resulting in a three-hour lockdown at six D.C.
John McDonogh High School shooting: 18-year-old Steven Williams, and 17-year-old James Tate, opened fire with an AK-47 and a handgun in the gymnasium of John McDonogh High School, killing a 15-year-old student and wounding three female students.
Red Lion Area Junior High School: 14-year-old student James Sheets entered Red Lion Area Junior High School armed with his stepfather's pistols.

2003

Case Western Reserve University shooting: On May 9, 2003, Biswanath Halder, a 62-year-old business school alumnus of Case Western Reserve University, killed a graduate student, wounded a professor, and another student using a semi-automatic rifle. He held the building and its nearly 100 occupants hostage for seven hours and exchanged fire with police and SWAT officers several times during the incident before being wounded and apprehended by a SWAT team.
Rocori High School shooting: 15-year-old John Jason McLaughlin shot 15-year-old freshman Seth Bartell and 17-year-old senior Aaron Rollins at Rocori High School. Rollins was killed immediately, and Bartell died from his wounds 16 days later.
Columbia High School: 16-year-old Jon W. Romano, in East Greenbush, New York, fired two rounds from a shotgun before wounding a teacher with a third at Columbia High School.
Randallstown High School: Two students were charged with a school shooting that arose from a dispute after a basketball game at Randallstown High School. Four persons were injured, two seriously.
School Bus Shooting: 14-year-old Jason Clinard killed his bus driver, 47-year-old Joyce Gregory, as she stopped to pick him up. Gregory had earlier reported Clinard for using snuff on the school bus.

Several other incidents occurred in the following years, reflecting a continuing pattern of violence in schools.

2005

Red Lake shootings: 16-year-old student Jeff Weise, killed his grandfather and grandfather's companion at their home, where he had been living, at the Red Lake Indian Reservation. He then drove to Red Lake Senior High School.
Weequahic High School: After breaking up a fight between a group of youths at Weequahic High School, Special Officer Dwayne Reeves was shot and killed and his partner wounded in the hand by two men who pulled up alongside him in a car. Despite being wounded, Reeves' partner was able to return fire and hit one of the suspects in the stomach.
Harlan Community Academy High School: At Harlan Community Academy High School, a fight broke out between two 15-year-old boys in the gymnasium. Christopher Huff took out a pistol, shooting the other youth in the leg. A police officer on duty at the school arrested the gunman.
Saginaw High School: At Saginaw High School, two students; a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old were shot at during a drive-by shooting.
Farmington High School: At Farmington High School, a 17-year-old male brought a disassembled shotgun to the school. The shooter brought the shotgun to the school in three pieces and then assembled it in the bathroom and then shot it at the ceiling.
Campbell County High School shooting: Inside the Campbell County High School office, 15-year-old Kenneth Bartley, shot the schools then principal, Gary Seale. He shot assistant principals Ken Bruce and Jim Pierce. Bruce later died from his wound.
Roseburg High School: 14-year-old freshman Vincent Wayne Leodoro shot 16-year-old student Joseph Monti four times in the back with a handgun at Roseburg High School. Leodoro walked away from the school campus, and was confronted near a restaurant by six police officers.

2006

Pine Middle School shooting: In the hallway of Pine Middle School, 14-year-old James Scott Newman, injured two 14-year-old classmates, Alexander Rueda and Kenzie McKeon, with a revolver belonging to his parents. Two students received minor wounds. Newman was subdued by a physical education teacher. The youth was arrested and charged as an adult for attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon and use of a firearm by a minor. He later pleaded guilty to charges of two counts of battery with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced as a juvenile.
Essex Elementary School: Christopher Williams, 26, shot his girlfriend's mother, Linda Lambesis, 57 at her home and from there he went to Essex Elementary School where Andrea, his girlfriend, worked. After he arrived at the elementary school, which was not in session at the time, he shot and killed Mary Alicia Shanks, 56, and shot Mary Snedeker, 52, nonfatally. He left the school and allegedly shot Chad Johansen, 26 nonfatally.
Alvaro Castillo Shooting: After fatally shooting his father, Rafael Castillo, 18-year-old Alvaro Castillo drove the family minivan to his former high school and opened fire where he wounded two students.
Pennington Family Shooting: 49-year-old Douglas W. Pennington, killed himself and his two sons, 26-year-old Logan P. Pennington, 24-year-old Benjamin M.
Cardozo High School: Eugene Huff, 17, and an unnamed 16-year-old male sophomore were arguing at one of Cardozo High School's entrances. The fight climaxed when Eugene pulled out a handgun and shot his classmate in the leg.
Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis: 53-year-old drifter, Duane Roger Morrison, walked into Platte Canyon High School and took six girls hostage. During the ensuing siege, Morrison sexually assaulted all of the girls.
Weston High School shooting: Eric Hainstock, a 15-year-old freshman, entered Weston High School and aimed a shotgun at a social studies teacher before it was wrestled from him by a school custodian.
Memorial Middle School: 13-year-old student Thomas White fired one shot from a MAK-90 rifle at a hallway ceiling at Memorial Middle School. The gunshot struck a water pipe, and nobody was injured. He also tried repeatedly to shoot principal Stephen Gilbreth at near-point-blank range as Gilbreth ushered him out of the school. Joplin police say the attempt was foiled by an improperly seated ammunition magazine in the rifle. The principal was not injured.
Henry Foss High School: 18-year-old student Douglas S. Chanthabouly, killed 17-year-old Samnang Kok, in the hallways of Henry Foss High School following a personal disagreement.
H.H. Dow High School: At H.H. Dow High School, 17-year-old David Benjamin Turner shot his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend Jessica Forsyth as they were in the school parking lot after Turner had called Forsyth and asked her to meet him at the school so he could return some of her stuff. Forsyth and her mother drove to the school.
Centennial High School: During an argument with several non-students and students, a student was shot in the elbow and wounded in the eating area at Centennial High School.
Virginia Tech shooting: A 23-year-old student, Seung-Hui Cho, armed with two pistols, a Glock 19 and a Walther P22, killed thirty-two students and faculty members at Virginia Tech and wounded another seventeen students and faculty members in two separate attacks before committing suicide. The first attack was on the second floor of West Ambler Johnston Hall, where he shot a young girl and another student who came to help. He then changed his clothes, recorded multiple videos stating that he "had to do it for his brothers and sisters", and made several pictures of himself with hammers, large knives, and guns. He then chained the doors of Norris Hall shut and shot and killed thirty more students and staff. He also shot seventeen more students and staff, wounding them. Six more students were also wounded from non gunshot injuries as they jumped out of the windows to flee the shooter. He was described as extremely quiet and lonely. During the rampage he wore a black T-shirt, a russet vest, a backwards baseball cap, black military cargo pants, black boots, and grip gloves.

2007

Henry Ford High School: Two 17-year-olds were outside Henry Ford High School when four people in a car opened fire at them.
Delaware State University: Two 17-year-old Delaware State University freshmen were shot on campus. One died 32 days later on October 23, from critical injuries sustained in the attack. A suspected perpetrator, Loyer D.
SuccessTech Academy shooting: in downtown Cleveland, 14-year-old student Asa H. Coon shot two students and two teachers in the halls and classrooms on the fourth floor of the building.
Miami Carol City Senior High School: At Miami Carol City Senior High School, a robber shot a teacher, who had been smoking a cigarette outside of the campus building. The 18-year-old robber stole the teacher's wallet and was later arrested.
Arkansas State University: Arkansas State University offensive line-man 20-year Alfred Louis was grazed in the lower left leg when someone fired several rounds from a 9mm handgun at a residence hall. He was treated at a local hospital.
Hamilton High School: At Hamilton High School, a student shot a 16-year-old student in the leg during a classroom argument over rap music.
Mitchell High School: Following a feud that started off campus earlier in the week, a 19-year-old senior was shot by a 17-year-old sophomore during a gym class held in the cafeteria with about 75 other students at Mitchell High School, before handing the gun to a coach making no attempt to flee. The victim suffered at least two gunshot wounds and was in critical condition, the suspected shooter was in custody.
Murder of Larry King: 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, shot 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King, twice in the head in the computer laboratory of E.O. Green Junior High School. McInerney was apprehended in a nearby neighborhood. King, who was openly homosexual, died two days later. McInerney was initially charged with a hate crime, but that charge was dropped.
Northern Illinois University shooting: 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, shot multiple people with a shotgun in a classroom of Northern Illinois University, killing five and injuring 21, seventeen of them by gunfire, before taking his own life.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock: 33-year-old James Earl Matthews was shot in the stomach and buttocks at close range with a handgun on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus. He survived. Gerald Pride Jr.
Lakota Middle School: 26-year-old Omero Mendez was waiting at the Lakota Middle School campus to pick up his girlfriend's son. He was confronted by 16-year-old Luis F. Cosgaya-Alvarez and two of his friends, driving in an SUV. Cosgaya-Alvarez flashed gang signs at Mendez, and shot him once in the head. Mendez later died of his injuries. Cosgaya-Alvarez was arrested a few days later in Seattle and was charged with murder.
Central High School: At Central High School, 15-year-old Jamar Siler killed 15-year-old Ryan McDonald.
South High School: A 15-year-old student brought a handgun into South High School, and shot two rounds, one into the ceiling and one shattering a trophy case. The student then put the gun to his head.
Henry Ford High School: 16-year-old Christopher Walker, was killed, and three other teenagers were seriously wounded during a drive-by shooting near Henry Ford High School, soon after classes let out. Three teenagers were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.
Dillard High School: 15-year-old Amanda Collette, was killed in the hallway at Dillard High School.
Dunbar High School: After attendees were leaving a basketball game at Dunbar High School, a truck pulled over and someone inside fired shots at the crowd, wounding five people, three critically. 18-year-old Georgio Dukes, was arrested and charged a week later with five counts of felony aggravated battery with a firearm.
Hampton University: 18-year-old Odane Greg Maye, a former student of Hampton University, followed a 43-year-old pizza delivery man into his former dormitory. Armed with three guns, Maye wounded the delivery man, then the dorm monitor. Lastly, Maye shot himself in a suicide attempt. He survived and was convicted of two charges of malicious wounding, two counts of using a gun...

This list represents a fraction of the incidents that have occurred, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address and prevent school violence.

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