State School Safety News

Understanding the challenges we face with school safety in the United States is vital for leaders. Only with awareness of the issues we face will we develop meaningful solutions to keep our children safe in school. The NASCPC tracks safety incidents across the country for just this reason. Navigate to your state to learn more about local challenges we need to conquer.

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School Safety News Across the United States

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9/17/23 - U.S. surpasses 500 mass shootings in 2023 - There have now been 501 mass shootings in the U.S. this year.
9/16/23 - There is 'an alarming trend' of gun violence at high school football games this year - The worrisome trend of gun violence at high school football stadiums has national officials commenting on some disturbing numbers. Gun violence is on the rise at high school football games, and it is dimming what is special about Friday Night Lights.
9/13/23 - School shootings hit all-time high for second year in a row - There were 188 shootings with casualties at public and private elementary schools during the 2021-22 school year, according to new federal data. About two-thirds of them caused injuries. Fifty-seven led to deaths.
8/20/23 - Violence-plagued schools hit reverse on post-George Floyd decisions to kick police off campuses - Political leaders who raced to kick police officers out of schools after the death of George Floyd three years ago are quietly bringing them back because of growing concerns about brawls, drugs and weapons on campuses.
8/14/23 - Want to make sure your child's school is safe? These are the questions parents should ask - With gunfire in schools at an all-time high, though still rare,back-to-school season begins this year with many parents more concerned than ever about school safety.
8/13/23 - A community's ills will be reflected in its schools - It should be cast in stone that whatever exists in the community to which the community chooses to turn a blind eye — be it open air drug use, petty crime, violence, distrust of the police, racism or gang related activity — those activities and attitudes are likely to find their way into the schools.
8/8/23 - Safety plans determine parents' and teachers' trust in schools - When developing school safety plans, security leaders should consider the feelings of families and staff.
8/7/23 - Keys to preventing school violence - There are a number of strategies that can be employed to keep students safe and help mitigate violence at school.
7/26/23 - How rates of mass shootings vary by state, mapped - Washington, D.C., and Louisiana had the highest rates of mass shootings per capita from 2014 to 2022, while Hawaii and North Dakota were the only two with zero.
7/26/23 - Research shows having police in schools results in fewer fights, but harsher discipline - Public schools routinely have a police officer in the building to deescalate and prevent violence. A new study led by faculty from the University at Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy examined how these school resource officers, or SROs, affect school and student outcomes.
7/26/23 - Opinion: Our K-12 Schools Need Dedicated Safety Personnel Now More Than Ever - Building a staffing model that brings a part or full-time crisis planning position into the K-12 organizational structure will better protect schools.
7/26/23 - School Violence Prevention and Response: Lockdowns and More - In this free training, attendees will learn how to address student and staff mental health issues, enhance school lockdowns, and respond to both critical events and active threats.
7/24/23 - 5 Ways Schools Can Encourage Students to Report Threats - CISA and the U.S. Secret Service share new guidance on how K-12 schools can encourage student bystander reporting of threats and other concerning behaviors.
7/23/23 - 14 Months After Uvalde School Shooting, Survivor's Mom Shares His Mental Health Battle: 'Lives with His Scars Daily' - Daniel “Tres” Ruiz Garza lives with PTSD, anxiety and survivor's guilt, his mother says: "He feels it’s not fair that he gets to smile"
7/22/23 - The Question After Every Mass Shooting: How Much Do We Deserve to Know? - A court in Nashville may decide whether releasing the musings of a killer could help prevent future losses, despite adding to survivors’ pain.
7/17/23 - The Legal Case Against a School Shooter’s Parents - Will charges of involuntary manslaughter incentivize parents to control weapons?
7/16/23 - Drug called ‘Tranq’ considered new rising drug threat across the country - The threat surrounds a dangerous combination of Fentanyl and Xylazine, also known as ‘Tranq.’
7/16/23 - Children born in pandemic have poorer communication skills, study finds - Researchers conclude lockdown babies are lagging behind after limited interaction during Covid restrictions
7/11/23 - Educators’ Views on School Safety, in Charts - In a survey of educators, principals, and district leaders conducted by the EdWeek Research Center last month, 41 percent of respondents said their sense of safety at school has decreased compared to 2019.
7/6/23 - Guns In America: How Schools Can Mitigate Violence and Subsequent Teacher Turnover - Four out of 10 teachers are considering quitting because they don’t feel safe at work, and 82% of them would like to change jobs within the next six months.
7/5/23 - 7 Signs a Weapon Is Being Concealed - Attacks involving firearms have taken place at and near schools, hospitals and institutions of higher learning. In a number of tragic instances, students have entered K-12 schools, universities, and hospitals undetected while concealing rifles and shotguns before committing multiple-victim homicides.
7/4/23 - July has already seen 11 mass shootings. The emotional scars won't heal easily - These are among the 11 mass shootings — defined as acts of gun violence injuring or killing at least four people — that have occurred this month, and 346 mass shootings since the beginning of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
7/4/23 - How a threat assessment team tracks students of concern - "In reality, in the 2020s, if we are not looking at the digital footprint of a student of concern, we are really not doing a comprehensive threat assessment."
7/2/23 - PERSPECTIVE: Securing our schools - According to the Washington Post, there have been 386 school shootings in the United States since the massacre at Columbine and more than 356,000 students have experienced school gun violence.
6/22/23 - Preventing and addressing violence in schools: 4 priorities as educators plan for next year - A major contributing factor to this rise in violence in schools is the chronic underfunding of public education and the social service sector.
6/17/23 - "Mass killers practice at home": How domestic violence and mass shootings are linked - As rates of gun violence increase in the United States, experts have identified a disturbing, decades-long trend: There's a clear intersection between mass shootings and domestic violence toward family members.
6/16/23 - Republican states arm teachers, fortify buildings in another year of school shootings - Gun safety advocates and education experts say more guns in schools make children less safe
6/10/23 - How can we stop school shootings in America? - Strategies should include reporting the signs, anonymous tip lines and behavioral threat assessments
6/4/23 - ‘There Were Fists Everywhere.’ Violence Against Teachers Is on the Rise. - Assaults ratchet up since return to in-person learning, adding to broader concerns about safety in schools
5/31/23 - Teachers are calling it quits amid rising school violence, burnout and stagnating salaries - (CNN) — Most educators leaving the field aren’t retiring or being laid off — they’re quitting.
5/23/23 - A troubling reaction to school violence compounds the crisis - Among US high school students, the decision to carry a weapon to school is tied to experiencing violence at school, reports a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
5/7/23 - Schools Are Pouring Millions Into AI-Powered Weapons Detection Systems. Do They Work? - As school shootings proliferate across the country — there were 46 school shootings in 2022, more than in any year since at least 1999 — educators are increasingly turning to dodgy vendors who market misleading and ineffective technology.
4/15/23 - FBI says threats against schools increased 60% nationwide in 2022 - The FBI says the threats are reported by students, parents, school administrators or local law enforcement. Although most of the threats don't materialize, ABC7 asked child psychiatrist Mitali Wadekar what effect these threats are having on children.
4/10/23 - Student violence reaching a breaking point in school districts nationwide - The issue is seemingly widespread, as schools of all demographics are fighting to create safer environments for their students and teachers. Individual communities differ on what they feel has prompted the surge, however, as national research suggests mental health challenges caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic may be a contributing factor.
3/29/23 - How 'swatting' calls spread as schools face real threats - A spate of threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders
3/29/23 - 74 people have been killed or injured by guns at American schools this year - In 2022, there were more school shootings than in any year since 1999, according to the Washington Post's tracker.
3/13/23 - Student Bullying and Suicide: Signs of a Toxic School - Alarming Trend of Toxic Schools. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Good teachers are leaving the profession, and many positions are being filled with warm bodies rather than those with a degree in education with an emphasis on child development.
2/15/23 - There have been 71 mass shootings in the US this year – in just 6 weeks - Nationwide, there have been a total of 71 mass shootings this year-to-date."There's not been any year that we've had 67 in six weeks" this early in the year, said Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive, on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday evening, the number of mass shootings reported and verified by the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit formed in 2013 to track gun violence in the U.S, increased to 71.
1/26/23 - Educational institutions among 3 most common mass shooting sites - Educational institutions were the third most likely site of a targeted mass attack between 2016 and 2020, according to a five year study of 173 mass attacks published Wednesday by the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center.
1/16/23 - Gun violence in schools across U.S. strikes fear into parents - A disturbing video of a toddler brandishing a loaded gun played out on live TV during a reality show following police on patrol. NBC’s Maggie Vespa has more on the latest incident that has parents across the U.S. worried about children’s safety at home and in school.
1/15/23 - Federal statistics show that schools are bolstering security efforts - More schools across the nation have installed security cameras, added locks inside classrooms and stepped up other security measures, according to new federal data.
1/10/23 - First Grader Who Shot Teacher in Virginia is Among the Youngest School Shooters in US History - David Riedman, creator of the K-12 School Shooting Database, discusses the rarity of school shooters under the age of 10
1/2/23 - A record number of America's kids were injured or killed by gunfire in 2022 - In 2022, more than 6,000 children and teens were injured or killed in shootings, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. That's the most in a single year since the database began tracking nine years ago.
12/30/22 - More School Districts Are Informing Parents of Firearm Storage Responsibilities - A pledge to ensure students’ families are continuously reminded about the importance of safely storing firearms is gaining significant traction in school districts across the country, according to a gun-safety advocacy organization.
12/30/22 - US Gun Violence Soars in 2022 - WASHINGTON — Across America, gun violence surged in many communities in 2022 as overall death rates from firearms rose to the highest level in nearly three decades.
12/29/22 - 2022 Trends That Will Impact Campus Security in 2023 and Beyond - Here are a few of the troubling trends that will most likely continue to affect education and healthcare security for the foreseeable future, as well as some links that can help you address these challenges.
12/28/22 - Leveraging Tech as a Response to School Security Threats - Technology cannot guarantee flawless defense against security breaches and threats, but it can help reduce the chance of a dangerous situation occurring.
12/26/22 - What SEL teaches us about safety - With SEL, we can foster emotional safety and mental wellness, and help reduce violence and risky behaviors among students
12/21/22 - School shootings reach unprecedented high in 2022 - There’s been an on-campus shooting ‘pretty much every single school day’ this fall, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database said.
11/28/22 - Federal authorities investigate a case about false threats of school shootings - One individual may be responsible for hundreds of false reports of active shooters across the U.S. The hoaxes have raised awareness of "swatting," and how it may be a national security threat.
11/23/22 - 12 recent mass shootings that gained national attention - While mass shootings are an anomaly when it comes to gun violence in America, this year has been rocked by horrific incidents, including several that unfolded in public, such as shootouts between multiple gunmen, targeted attacks or active shooter events.
10/29/22 - School Shootings are Already at a Record in 2022 – with Months Still to Go - Records show that seven more people died in mass shootings at U.S. schools between 2018 and 2022 – a total of 52 – than in the previous 18 years combined since the watershed 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
10/29/22 - In a single week in America, 4 communities confronted the aftermath of different school shootings. Then, shots rang out in another school - There have been at least 53 school shootings at K-12 schools so far this year, more than in all of 2021 and nearly double as many as in 2018. In many cases, legal proceedings seeking justice can last decades, offering a national reminder every few months of the victims and the violence.
10/18/22 - About a third of K-12 parents are very or extremely worried a shooting could happen at their children’s school - School shootings have hit close to home for many U.S. parents. In a new Pew Research Center survey, roughly a third (32%) of parents of children in K-12 schools say they are very or extremely worried about a shooting ever happening at their children’s school.
10/15/22 - Halloween becoming a thing of the past in schools - Halloween is being canceled in schools throughout the nation, due to ongoing violence within schools.
10/9/22 - Youth Killed by Guns in US Equals Classroom a Day - The number of children and teens who die from gun violence in the United States on a given day could fill a typical high school classroom, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
10/7/22 - How to Prevent K-12 School Violence Using Behavioral Threat Assessments - This free webinar will help simplify the process of behavioral threat assessment and management, reduce anxiety, and increase skills and knowledge.
10/6/22 - Schools Face Increase in Gun Confiscations, Shootings and Hoaxes - Rise from prepandemic years reflects broader societal gun violence and student behavioral problems, school officials say
10/5/22 - School Shootings Reach Record Level, Data Show - There have been 35 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths so far in 2022, more than in any single year since Education Week began tracking the incidents in 2018.
9/30/22 - How do you determine if a school threat is credible?
9/21/22 - ‘Swatting’ Hoaxes Disrupt Schools Across the Country. What Educators Need to Know - The string of false shooting reports that have disrupted schools across the country in recent weeks has renewed attention to school safety and communication protocols and prompted the FBI and local law enforcement officials to investigate whether the incidents are connected.
9/19/22 - Rise in school shootings: 28 have occurred in US so far this year - Each day it seems innocent children are injured and killed in school shootings across the United States. A recent example is a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two adults — and marked the 27th school shooting this year.
9/18/22 - Schools across US hit with dozens of false shooting, bomb threats. Experts say it's a 'cruel hoax' - Across the country, dozens of schools went on lockdown. Students and teachers hid in classrooms. Police searched campuses. Parents panicked.
9/13/22 - ‘Stop the shooting’: Inside the effort to protect students from neighborhood gun violence - A growing movement is trying to end gun violence where students experience it most.
9/8/22 - Debunking Myths the Gun Lobby Perpetuates Following Mass Shootings - OPINION - The gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association (NRA), routinely deploys a series of common myths—designed to undermine legitimate arguments for commonsense gun reform—in the aftermath of high-profile mass shootings.
9/3/22 - A 4-year-old becomes second US child in a week to bring a handgun to school. Gun safety group warns of 'tremendous problem.' - Parents are failing to prevent their children from accessing guns, which can ultimately lead to suicides, school shootings, and unintentional shootings, Nichols said.
11/12/21 - The rise in school shooting threats is alarming — and a cry for help - Before a mass shooting, communication of intent to do harm is common, and about half of all mass shooters do so. The professionals who evaluate what is known as “leakage” try to separate the signal from the noise, the real threat from the hoax. They look for red flags such as mentions of a specific date and time, weapon, location and targets, and motive for the attack.
11/8/21 - 9 Common Traits of Autism SROs Should Know to Foster Positive Student Interactions - Common characteristics for individuals with autism include lack of eye contact, repetitive actions, and sensory issues, among others.
11/5/21 - Signs a Student May Have a Substance Abuse Issue - Adolescents start using drugs for a variety of reasons. For example, they may want to impress peers, boost energy, ease stress, or self-medicate mental health conditions like social anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Over time, drug use can cause serious health problems, including addiction. As a campus safety professional, you can protect your students’ health by learning the signs of substance abuse.