Interactive Map: The U.S. Shooting Epidemic

Data Beast

By Brian Abelson & Michael Keller

UPDATE 12/14/2012 The map has been updated to include today’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Mass shootings this year in Colorado, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and elsewhere have reignited the debate over gun control in America. Just how bad is the problem? Through media reports, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a nonprofit lobbying group, has compiled a list of 431 shootings with more than one victim since 2005. On average, according to the organization, a multiple-victim shooting happens every 5.9 days in the United States. The deadliest city in this period, according to the data, is Chicago, with 17 shootings since 2005—totaling 72 people wounded and 30 deaths. Thirteen of those shootings were in a public place. New Orleans, Kansas City, and Philadelphia were tied for second bloodiest, with nine shootings in this seven-year period. Plus, James Warren on why the Colorado shooting is tragically unsurprising.



Roll over or tap the interactive map below to see how your state compares, or explore the data in the spreadsheet below. If we missed one, let us know in the comments or at @mhkeller and @BrianAbelson.

