Enormous public concern has been concentrated on recent school shootings.
Some schools now resemble concentration camps. They have with security personnel
and metal detectors in place, to detect armed students. But this unease may not
be attacking the real problem. There appear to be at least two serious social
phenomena which are responsible for many more deaths of young people than school
shootings:
Killings outside of schools: As shocking as mass murders at schools are, they pale in comparison to the
numbers of murders outside of educational institutions. Data from two sources indicate:
1992/3 and 1993/4 school years: there were 106 murders at schools nationwide. 1
1992-1993 calendar years: Juvenile murderers (age 5 to 19) in the U.S. totaled 7,000 2
The average death toll per day is about 20 youths -- more
than that of the Columbine disaster, and more than the average number of youth
shooting deaths per year in schools. Considering how many hours each year that teenagers spend
in an educational institution, it would appear that they are much safer in
school than out. This is not to minimize the importance of the Littleton and
other similar tragedies; we are simply trying to put the problem of youth
homicide in perspective. As serious as school shootings are, the body count is
very small when compared to the total death toll.
Youth suicides: Comparing data from the same two sources
1992/3 and 1993/4 school years: there were 106 murders at schools nationwide.
1
1992-1993 calendar years:
4,000 juveniles age 5 to 19 committed suicide. 2
Most of these are older teens. However, at least 300
children aged 10 to 14 kill themselves in the U.S. each year.
3This number appears to be increasing rapidly.
The average death toll per week is about 77
youths -- more than twice the average number of youth murders per
year inside schools. One major group of contributing factors appears to be
present in both school shootings and suicides by school-aged youth: long
term teasing, taunting, marginalization, and exclusion. This, coupled with
depression, can push students over the edge into suicide. George Hunter of
the Detroit News explained this clearly. The title of his recent article
is: "Teasing and taunting led girl to end her life: Pressures that
prompted mass shootings also spur quiet suicides." 3He discusses the suicide of a shy 12 year old student, Tempest
Smith. Some schools administrations are now attacking the relentless
teasing of some students by others. Hopefully, this action will lead to both fewer school murders and fewer suicides in future years.
On 1999-APR-20, two teenage students entered Columbine High School in
Littleton, CO armed with a handgun, a rifle, shotguns and home-made bombs. The
eventual death toll was 15. This included 12 fellow students, one teacher, and
the two terrorists (the latter by suicide). In addition, 20 students were
injured, some very seriously.
The Columbine tragedy was the most serious single incident of school killing in U.S.
history. It galvanized public attention as no similar crime had done in recent
memory. But it was not an isolated event. Murders of and by students appear to
be a chronic problem in U.S. schools: 1
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in the
three school years prior to 1995-JUL, there was an average of one
multiple-victim event per year. In the three school years following 1995-JUL,
there were been an average of five multiple-victim events per year.
4 Mass killings seemed definitely to be becoming more common, even as the total number of
murder victims per year appears to be going down. However, since 1999,
there appears to be a steady decline in incidences. Reasons probably include
increased security precautions at schools and greater suppression of bullying on
campus.
Recent school shootings resulting in fatalities or serious injuries, and
attempted murder in North American
schools include:
1996:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Moses Lake, WA
FEB-2
2 stud/1 teach.
1
14
Assault rifle
1997:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Bethel, AK
FEB-19
1 stud/1 Princ.
2
16
Shotgun
Pearl, MS
OCT-1
2 stud/1 Parent
7
16
Knife, rifle
W. Paducah, KY
DEC-1
3 students
5
15
.22 cal handgun
Stamps, AR
DEC-15
None
2
14
Unknown
1998:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Jonesboro, AR
MAR-24
4 stud/1 teach
10
11,13
3 handguns, 3 rifles
Edinboro, PA
APR-24
1 teacher
3
14
Gun
Springfield OR
MAY-21
2 stud/2 parent
25
15
Semi-auto rifle
Richmond, VA
JUN-15
None
2
14
Semi-auto pistol
1999:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Notus, ID
APR-16
None
0 or 1; sources differ
16
Shotgun
Littleton, CO
APR-20
14 stud/1 teach
20
17 & 18
Gun, rifle, shotguns, bombs...
Taber, AB, Canada
APR-30
1 student
1
14
.22 cal handgun
Conyers, GA
MAY-20
None
6
15
Rifle, 357 magnum
Houston, TX
NOV-17
None
1
Unknown
Gun
Deming, NM
NOV-19
1 student
None
12
Unknown
Ft. Gibson, OK
DEC-05
None
4
13
Handgun
2000:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Mt. Morris, MI
FEB-29
1 student
None
6 !
.32 cal semiautomatic gun
Lake Worth, FL
MAY-26
1 teacher
None
13
Handgun
New Orleans, LA
SEP-26
None
2 wounded
2001:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
San Diego, CA
MAR-5
2 students
14
15
.22 cal handgun
Williamsport, PA
MAR-7
None
1 student
14
"gun"
Granite Hills, CA
MAR-22
None
1 teacher
3 students
18
Gary, IN
MAR-30
1 student
None
17
Caro, MI
NOV-12
Self
None
17
2002:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
New York, NY
JAN-15
None
2 students
2003:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Red Lion, PA
APR-24
Principal, self
-
14
Cold Spring, MN
SEP-24
2 students
students
1
2005:
Location
Date
Fatalities
Injuries
Suspect age
Weapon
Bemidji, MN
MAR-21
! guard, 1 teacher, 5 students, self
5 students
16
2 handguns, 1 shotgun
Jacksboro, TN
NOV-09
1 principal
2 assistant principals, self
15
1 handgun
Sponsored link:
Where shooting incidences have happened in North America
(1996 to 2005):
George Hunter, "Teasing and taunting led girl to end her life; Pressures that prompted mass shootings also spur quiet
suicides," The Detroit News, 2001-MAR-7, at:
http://www.detroitnews.com/2001/
