Report Highlights: Mass shooters represent a small portion of the population across all demographics.
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There were 202 mass shooters from 1966 to 2026, equalling 1 for every 1.6 million people in the U.S.
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White Americans accounted for 56.9% of mass shooters in the U.S.
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When methodology is expanded to include gang and dispute-related shootings, black adolescents account for 53% of school shooters.
Methodology
This analysis examines mass shootings and school shootings from January 1966 to May 2026.
Mass shooting databases, such as the Violence Prevention Project, were used to source information about individual shooters and their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Peer-reviewed sources and government reports were used to source information about school shooters, as comprehensive databases are limited.
Population figures are drawn from the 2020 U.S. Census. Calculations were performed for earlier population sizes to ensure final outcomes were not statistically different from current rates and ratios.
Mass shooters were included based on whether the shooting incident aligned with the FBI and the Violence Prevention Project’s definition of “mass murder.” Such incidents result in four or more civilian fatalities in a public place and are unconnected to another crime or family violence. Violence Prevention Project data were cross-referenced with Mother Jones’ data to ensure there was no statistically significant change in shooters’ race when the definition of “mass shooting” was relaxed to include incidents resulting in fewer fatalities and family violence.
School shootings include targeted attacks, rampage attacks, gang-related violence, and dispute-related incidents. Several studies were used to examine a broader view of school shooters and their race.
Mass Shootings by Shooter’s Race
Between January 1966 and May 2026, there were 202 mass shooters in the U.S.
Of these shooters, 115 were white, 43 were black shooters, 19 were Hispanic, 13 were Asian, nine were Middle Eastern/North African, and three were Native American.1, 2
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are White?
White Americans (including male, female, and non-binary) account for 56.9% of mass shooters in the U.S.
Of the 202 mass shooters recorded between January 1966 and May 2026, 115 were white: one for every 1.7 million white people.
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are White Males?
White males (excluding transgender and non-binary individuals) accounted for 55.4% of mass shooters in the U.S.: one for every 886,000 white men.1, 2
Only one white female and two confirmed white transgender/non-binary individuals committed a mass shooting.
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Black Americans?
Black Americans (including males and females) accounted for 21.3% of mass shooters in the U.S.
Of the 202 mass shooters recorded between January 1966 and May 2026, 43 were black: one for every 1 million black Americans.
Of these 43 black shooters (97.7%) were male. There was only one black female shooter.1, 2
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Hispanic?
Hispanics accounted for 9.4% of mass shooters in the U.S. There were no female or transgender shooters in this group.
Of the 202 mass shooters recorded between January 1966 and May 2026, 19 were Hispanic: one for every 3.3 million Hispanic Americans.1, 2
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Asian?
Asians accounted for 6.4% of mass shooters in the U.S. There were no female or transgender shooters in this group.
Of the 202 recorded mass shooters between January 1966 and May 2026, 13 were Asian: one for every 1.5 million Asian Americans.1, 2
What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Middle Eastern/North African?
Middle Eastern and North African individuals account for 4.5% of mass shooters in the U.S.
There were nine shooters in this category (including shooters from the Middle East and one from Morocco), representing one for every 368,000 people in this group.1, 2
Of these shooters, 88.9% were male. There was only one female shooter.
Continue reading Mass Shooters by Race: Demographics of Assailants 1966-2026 at Ammo.com