One in every 15 Americans has been a witness to a mass shooting, a new study has unveiled, shedding light on the severity and reach of the epidemic of gun violence that has swept across the United States over recent decades.
According to the study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder, approximately 7% of US adults have been present at the scene of a mass shooting at some point in their lives, and over 2% have suffered injuries during such an incident.
David Pyrooz, a senior author of the study and a professor of sociology and criminology at the Institute for Behavioral Science at UC Boulder, stated, “This study confirms that mass shootings are not isolated tragedies, but rather a reality that affects a significant portion of the population, with profound physical and psychological consequences. They also highlight the need for interventions and support for the most affected groups.”
Since 2014, there have been nearly 5,000 mass shootings documented nationwide, with more than 500 occurring each year since 2020, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The university defined a “mass shooting” as a gun-related crime in which four or more people were shot in a public space.
Researchers defined being “physically present” as being in the immediate vicinity of where the shooting occurred, at the time it occurred, such that bullets were fired in your direction, you could see the shooter, or you could hear the gunfire. Respondents were asked if they had ever been physically present at a mass shooting.
Out of the 10,000 people surveyed, just under 7% answered yes to being present at a mass shooting, and 2.18% said they had been injured. These injuries include not only gunshot wounds but also being struck by shrapnel or trampled by people fleeing the scene, as well as suffering other injuries while trying to escape.
The study emphasizes that the far-reaching impact of mass shootings in American society underlines the necessity for comprehensive public health strategies to address the wide-ranging and lasting effects of being exposed to mass shootings.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/08/one-in-15-americans-has-witnessed-a-mass-shooting-study
