Methodology
Gun violence (defined as the intentional injuring of another human with a firearm) statistics exclude self-inflicted gunshot wounds and unintentional shootings. Although conversation worthy, shootings that do not include interpersonal violence do not represent a consistent threat to the general public. Legal intervention and operations of war were included in this report, as these types of shootings do involve violence by definition. Homicides and justifiable homicides were also included in this report.
Mass shooting (defined as a shooting incident with four or more fatalities excluding the perpetrator or perpetrators) statistics exclude dispute-related, gang-related, or family violence-related events. These types of violence pose a threat to the general public, whereas other shooting incidents with multiple victims are typically targeted toward specific individuals.
All gun death data were drawn from the CDC WONDER database, which compiles death certificate data from all U.S. counties. The most updated death data from 2025 are partial and incomplete; these rates will change as more information is collected.Gun Violence Statistics in 2026
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, 4,845 gun deaths and 8,129 gunshot injuries (including homicide, murder, and defensive gun uses) were reported in the U.S. between January and May of 2026.
