Determining the Worst School Shooting by Fatalities

The deadliest school shooting in U.S. history occurred at Virginia Tech. A gunman opened fire in multiple locations on campus, killing 32 people before taking his own life.

The incident occurred during the morning hours and raised nationwide concerns about active shooter response, school safety, and gun violence.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school.

A total of 20 children and six adults were killed inside the school. The tragedy at Sandy Hook reshaped national conversations about gun control, school security, and youth violence.

The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, ranks among the deadliest school shootings.

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed after a former student entered the school and opened fire. The response by police officers and school security became a major focus of public scrutiny.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, became a pivotal moment in the national debate on gun violence.

Seventeen people (14 students and three staff members) were killed when a former student opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. The survivors became vocal advocates for gun law reforms, helping to spark the nationwide March for Our Lives movement.

The Columbine High School massacre marked a turning point in how school shootings were understood.

Two shooters killed 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado, before committing suicide. Pipe bombs and other homemade explosives were also brought to the school, though the bombs failed to detonate.

The shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon was one of the deadliest college campus attacks.

A gunman targeted an English class, killing nine people and wounding seven others before fatally shooting himself during a shootout with police.

The Santa Fe High School shooting occurred during class time. Ten people were killed, including students and school employees. The gunman opened fire inside a classroom and other areas of the school campus.

The Westside Middle School shooting involved very young perpetrators. Four students and one teacher were killed outside the school on the grounds near the parking lot.

The incident shocked the nation and intensified debates around school safety.

The Oikos University shooting took place at a small religious college in California. Seven people were killed when a former student opened fire during a class. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities at smaller campuses with limited security guards or metal detectors.

The Amish school shooting occurred at a one-room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania.

Five students were killed by Charles Carl Roberts IV, who later committed suicide. The attack drew attention due to the victims’ age and the Amish community’s response.

The Red Lake shooting occurred on a reservation in Minnesota. A former student killed a security guard and seven students before taking his own life. Family members were also victims earlier in the shooting spree.

Death toll typically includes victims who died as a direct result of gunfire. Injuries, wounded students, and long-term trauma are not reflected in these numbers, though they remain central to understanding the full impact of shooting incidents.

Discussions around school security, metal detectors, emergency response, gun ownership, and prevention strategies are often influenced by these fatal school shootings and reporting from outlets like the Associated Press and the New York Times.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.