NORTH CAROLINA -- In the aftermath of Sunday night’s Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, many are wondering just how many shootings we have experienced in the U.S. and even in North Carolina in the past few years.
Unfortunately, mass shootings in the United States are more common than you may think.
Though there is no one set definition for the phrase “mass shooting,” non-profit group Gun Violence Archive defines mass shooting as "four or more shot and or killed in a single event, at the same general time and location, not including the shooter."
Based on that definition, data shows there have been 276 mass shootings in the United States this year alone.
Though that number is higher than 2014’s year total of 273, it’s still far below 2015’s total of 333 and last year’s alarmingly high total of 383.
When it comes to North Carolina, Gun Violence Archive reports six separate incidents of mass shootings this year alone, with 28 people involved and 11 killed.
2017’s mass shootings in NC:
- April 7, 2017 - Hickory - 3 killed, 1 injured
- April 16, 2017 - Elizabeth City - 0 killed, 4 injured
- July 4, 2017 - Raleigh - 1 killed, 3 injured
- August 21, 2017 - Whitakers - 4 killed, 0 injured
- July 26, 2017 - High Point - 1 killed, 6 injured
- July 29, 2017 - Salisbury - 2 killed, 3 injured
So how do those numbers compare to previous years?
While there were more incidents of mass shootings in 2016 and 2015, more people have been killed this year than in the last three years.
Previous years’ mass shootings data in NC:
- 9 incidents, 41 involved, 6 killed – 2016
- 12 incidents, 59 involved, 7 killed – 2015
- 3 incidents, 14 involved, 3 killed - 2014