sad things

The Appalling Frequency of the Shooting Spree

Not counting drive-bys, gang ambushes, and ­domestic homicides (and countless cases in which gunfire at parks, bars, and shopping malls pierced flesh but did not take lives), there were more than 125 fatal mass shootings in the United States during the years between the Columbine killings and the massacre at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colorado. Here, drawn from online archives and a list maintained by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a random inventory of horror.          

4/20/99
Columbine High School, Littleton, Colo. 15 killed, 24 injured.

7/29/99
Investment offices, Atlanta, Ga. 13 killed, 12 injured.

9/15/99
Church, Fort Worth, Tex. 8 killed, 7 injured.

11/2/99
Office building, Honolulu. 7 killed.

12/30/99
Hotel, Tampa, Fla. 5 killed, 3 injured.

5/24/00
Fast-food restaurant, Queens. 5 killed, 2 injured.

12/26/00
Technology company, Wakefield, Mass. 7 killed.

3/5/01
High school, Santee, Calif. 2 killed, 13 injured.

12/6/01
Factory, Goshen, Ind. 2 killed, 6 injured.

11/21/04
Hunting grounds near Meteor, Wis. 6 killed, 2 injured.

2/25/05
Courthouse, Tyler, Tex. 2 killed, 4 injured.

3/11/05
Courthouse, Atlanta. 4 killed.

3/14/05
Church, Brookfield, Wis. 7 killed, 4 injured.

3/21/05
High school, Red Lake Indian Reservation, Minn. 10 killed, 7 injured.

1/30/06
Mail-processing plant, Goleta, Calif. 8 killed.

7/28/06
Nonprofit office, Seattle. 1 killed, 5 injured.

8/24/06
Various locations, Essex, Vt. 2 killed, 3 injured.

10/2/06
School, Nickel Mines, Pa. 5 killed, 6 injured.

12/9/06
Law office, Chicago. 4 killed.

12/12/06
Strip club, New Bedford, Mass. 4 killed, 2 injured.

2/12/07
Shopping mall, Salt Lake City. 6 killed.

4/16/07
College campus, Blacksburg, Va. 33 killed, 17 injured.

5/20/07
Courthouse and private residence, Moscow, Idaho. 4 killed, 3 injured.

7/22/07
Bar, Philadelphia. 3 killed.

8/4/07
Elementary school, Newark, N.J. 3 killed, 1 injured.

8/12/07
Coffee shop, Dallas. 1 killed, 3 injured.

10/10/07
High school, Cleveland. 1 killed, 4 injured.

11/4/07
Nightclub, Denver. 1 killed, 6 injured.

12/5/07
Department store, Omaha. 9 killed, 5 injured.

12/9/07
Missionary training center and church, Arvada and Colorado Springs, Colo. 5 killed, 5 injured.

2/2/08
Clothing store, Tinley Park, Ill. 5 killed, 1 injured.

2/7/08
City Council meeting, Kirkwood, Mo. 7 killed, 2 injured.

2/14/08
College campus, DeKalb, Ill. 6 killed, 16 injured.

3/4/08
Fast-food restaurant, West Palm Beach, Fla. 2 killed, 5 injured.

3/30/08
Church event, Richmond, Calif. 1 killed, 4 injured.

5/25/08
Bar, Winnemucca, Nev. 2 killed, 2 injured.

5/26/08
Memorial Day BBQ, Jackson, Miss. 1 killed, 4 injured.

6/1/08
Bar, North Versailles, Pa. 5 killed.

6/22/08
Nightclub, St. Paul, Minn. 1 killed, 3 injured.

6/24/08
Plastics plant, Henderson, Ky. 6 killed, 1 injured.

7/4/08
Street party, Milwaukee. 4 killed, 2 injured.

7/6/08
Street party, Pompano Beach, Fla. 1 killed, 3 injured.

7/27/08
Church, Knoxville, Tenn. 2 killed, 7 injured.

7/31/08
Swimming hole, Niagara, Wis. 3 killed, 1 injured.

9/2/08
Various locations, Alger, Wash. 6 killed, 2 injured.

9/11/08
Youth basketball ceremony, Philadelphia. 2 killed, 3 injured.

9/23/08
Bus station, Compton, Calif. 2 killed, 3 injured.

10/24/08
Various locations, Newark, N.J. 2 killed, 4 injured.

11/2/08
Fast-food parking lot, Orlando, Fla. 1 killed, 3 injured.

11/9/08
Bar, Columbus, Ind. 1 killed, 3 injured.

11/16/08
Nightclub, Dallas. 1 killed, 4 injured.

11/16/08
Mall parking lot, Odenton, Md. 2 killed, 2 injured.

11/21/08
Elementary school, Stockton, Calif. 1 killed, 4 injured.

11/22/08
Restaurant parking lot, Skyway, Wash. 1 killed, 3 injured.

11/23/08
Turfgrass business and private home, Murfreesboro, N.C. 3 killed, 1 injured.

12/7/08
Nightclub, Atlanta. 1 killed, 5 injured.

12/12/08
Bar, Trotwood, Ohio. 1 killed, 5 injured.

12/26/08
Bar, Lynchburg, South Carolina. 1 killed, 3 injured.

12/30/08
Smoke shop, Dallas. 1 killed, 3 injured.

1/24/09
Under-21 nightclub, Portland, Ore. 3 killed, 7 injured.

2/14/09
Hospital parking lot and private residence, Brockport, N.Y. 4 killed, 1 injured.

3/1/09
Bar, Largo, Md. 1 killed, 6 injured.

3/10/09
Various locations, Kinston & Samson, Ala. 11 killed.

3/20/09
Block party, Jacksonville, Fla. 1 killed, 4 injured.

3/21/09
Various locations, Oakland. 4 killed, 1 injured.

3/30/09
Nursing home, Carthage, N.C. 8 killed, 3 injured.

4/3/09
Immigrant community center, Binghamton, N.Y. 13 killed, 4 injured.

4/10/09
Hotel, Rosemead, Calif. 2 killed, 3 injured.

4/17/09
Car repair shop, Detroit. 1 killed, 4 injured.

4/25/09
Block party, Jacksonville, Fla. 1 killed, 9 injured.

4/29/09
Taco truck, Lennox, Calif. 1 killed, 5 injured.

5/6/09
Gas station, Detroit. 1 killed, 2 injured.

5/6/09
Grocery store, Chicago. 1 killed, 3 injured.

5/27/09
Bar, Canton, Ohio. 3 killed.

5/28/09
Methadone clinic, Birmingham, Ala. 2 killed, 2 injured.

5/30/09
Strip club, Springfield, Mass. 1 killed, 5 injured.

5/31/09
Convenience-store parking lot, Phoenix. 2 killed, 2 injured.

6/13/09
Convenience store, Lexington, Ky. 1 killed, 3 injured.

6/21/09
Bar, Philadelphia. 1 killed, 6 injured.

7/1/09
Dental office, Simi Valley, Calif. 1 killed, 3 injured.

7/6/09
Block party, Overtown, Fla. 2 killed, 10 injured.

7/11/09
Street party, Concord, N.C. 1 killed, 3 injured.

7/25/09
Motorcycle club, Aurora, Colo. 1 killed, 3 injured.

8/4/09
Fitness center, Collier, Pa. 3 killed, 9 injured.

8/4/09
Fast-food-restaurant parking lot, Atlantic City, N.J. 1 killed, 3 injured.

8/30/09
Bar, Moss Point, Miss. 1 killed, 6 injured.

11/1/09
Television store, Mount Airy, N.C. 4 killed.

11/4/09
Nightclub, Denver. 1 killed, 6 injured.

11/5/09
Army base, Fort Hood, Tex. 13 killed, 30 injured.

11/6/09
Engineering firm, Orlando, Fla. 1 killed, 5 injured.

11/7/09
Bar, Vail, Colo. 1 killed, 3 injured.

11/8/09
Bar, Reading, Penn. 1 killed, 6 injured.

11/10/09
Drug-testing lab, Tualatin, Ore. 1 killed, 2 injured.

11/28/09
Gas station, Brockton, Mass. 1 killed, 3 injured.

11/29/09
Coffee shop, Lakewood, Wash. 4 killed.

1/7/10
Power plant, St. Louis. 4 killed, 5 injured.

1/12/10
Truck-leasing company, Kennesaw, Ga. 2 killed, 3 injured.

1/16/10
Nightclub, Oklahoma City. 1 killed, 4 injured.

2/12/10
College campus, Huntsville, Alabama. 3 killed, 3 injured.

2/21/10
Bar, Philadelphia. 1 killed, 3 injured.

4/3/10
Restaurant, North Hollywood. 4 killed, 2 injured.

6/6/10
Restaurant, Hialeah, Florida. 5 killed, 3 injured.

6/19/10
Restaurant, San Bernardino, Calif. 3 killed, 2 injured.

8/3/10
Beer distribution factory, Hartford, Conn. 9 killed, 2 injured.

11/30/10
Funeral home, St. Louis. 2 killed, 2 injured.

12/14/10
Shopping center, Sacramento, Calif. 1 killed, 5 injured.

1/8/11
Shopping center, Tucson, Ariz. 6 killed, 13 injured.

3/25/11
Nightclub, Irvington, N.J. 1 killed, 4 injured.

6/20/11
Pharmacy, Medford, N.Y. 4 killed.

6/30/11
Nightclub, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. 2 killed, 10 injured.

7/23/11
Roller-skating rink, Grand Prairie, Tex. 6 killed.

9/6/11
Pancake restaurant, Carson City, Nev. 5 killed, 7 injured.

10/5/11
Cement plant, Cupertino, Calif. 3 killed, 7 injured.

10/8/11
Nightclub, Dallas. 8 killed.

10/10/11
Bar, Anchorage, Alaska. 2 killed, 2 injured.

10/12/11
Hair salon, Orange County, Calif. 8 killed, 1 injured.

12/16/11
Office, Irwindale, Calif. 3 killed, 2 injured.

2/21/12
Spa, Norcross, Ga. 5 killed.

2/26/12
Nightclub, Jackson, Tenn. 1 killed, 20 injured.

2/27/12
High school, Chardon, Ohio. 3 killed, 2 injured.

3/8/12
Psychiatric hospital, Pittsburgh. 1 killed, 7 injured.

3/30/12
Funeral home, North Miami, Fla. 2 killed, 12 injured.

4/2/12
Vocational school, Oakland. 7 killed, 3 injured.

5/30/12
Café, Seattle. 6 killed.

6/20/12
Nightclub, Houston. 3 killed, 2 injured.

7/9/12
Park, Dover, Del. 3 killed, 2 injured.

7/20/12
Movie theater, Aurora, Colo. 12 killed, 59 injured.


This story appeared in the July, 30, 2012 issue of New York Magazine.

The Appalling Frequency of the Shooting Spree