Active Shooter Incidents 20-Year Review, 2000-2019

This report, produced by the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement, encompasses statistical data regarding 333 active shooter incidents in the United States between 2000 and 2019. Each page focuses on a particular active shooter-related topic and has been designed specifically for law enforcement officers, other first responders, corporations, educators, and the general public.

Businesses open to public traffic had the highest number of incidents at 96 shootings. 62 occurred in educational settings.. nine incidents occurred on military installations. 15 took place in religious places of worship. Over 1000 civilians were murdered . Approximately 30 law enforcement officers were killed. 2851 wasis the total number of casualties.

FBI has been offering active shooter training to officers and first responders, to include attempts to prepare for the bottom of the barrel shooters who target houses of worship and children.

More police departments wanted tactical training after events like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Nairobi mall attack. In response, the FBI, along with other federal agencies, have been providing additional training to its law enforcement at all levels and private sector partners.

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting that occurred at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 27, 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, and the Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento have brought together faith leaders to discuss strategies to deal with active shooter incidents in houses of worship. Over 100 are expected to attend today’s presentation.

The Active Shooter training features a lecture by FBI Special Agent Glenn Norling that will teach attendees how to be better prepared, recognize reaction options when faced with a critical situation, and what to expect from a law enforcement response.

U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott stated, “Any time an individual decides to attack those gathered in the peaceful exercise of their religion, the congregants are the true first responders. Today’s training brings together community leaders to discuss these tragic events and to learn how to prepare their congregations for an incident that we hope and pray will never happen in our district. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the community and its law enforcement partners to prevent such attacks and to taking appropriate action if such a tragedy occurs here.”

Terrorist attack preparation heated up after 9-11. In 2013, al Shabaab gunmen attacked a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing more than 70 people. In response, the FBI secured operational resources to assist Kenyan authorities.

Not long after, the Bureau—in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—formulated plans for a training exercise series to ensure that American law enforcement, other public safety first responders, and private sector entities had coordinated, effective response plans in place in case this type of complex terror attack ever occurs at a U.S. public venue.

Tabletop exercises were held with FBI field office personnel; federal, state, and local public safety officials; and private sector partners—including mall managers and owners—to discuss a hypothetical terror attack on a local mall and gain a clearer understanding of each other’s capabilities and responsibilities. A second exercise was more inwardly focused, concentrating on FBI field office response plans and the effectiveness of our capabilities to communicate vital information to our own personnel and external partners.

Lessons learned from Phases I and II were integrated into the third phase of the training. During Phase III, FBI field offices—with DHS—are hosting a boots-on-the-ground exercise with regional federal, state, and local public and private sector partners at shopping malls outside of regular business hours.

This exercise scenario, like the first two phases, involves a simulated terrorist incident with numerous attacks, improvised explosive devices, and multiple victims and witnesses. Participants gather to discuss what’s about to happen, run through the exercise, and finish up by reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. After the several-hour exercise and the formal after-action review, participants will take the lessons learned and modify their own agency’s response plans as needed to ensure they mesh with those of other agencies.

Starting in 2013, all FBI field offices across the country began hosting facilitated discussions—or tabletop exercises—with public safety and private sector partners that focused on preparedness, response, and recovery efforts necessary to effectively address such an attack. This overnight training exercise represents the current phase of the FBI’s Complex Mall Attack Initiative, which was developed to promote preparedness and strengthen public/private partnerships.

The exercise, which included dozens of role players serving as bystanders, hostages, victims, and bad guys, was the culmination of that work locally.