Comprehensive Analysis of Political Violence and School Shootings in the United States (2018-2025)

Key Findings Overview

Political violence and domestic terrorism have increased significantly during this period, with right-wing extremists responsible for the vast majority of lethal attacks, while school shootings have reached unprecedented levels with complex demographic patterns.¹

School Shootings (2018-2025)

Incident Trends

• 232 total K-12 school shootings with casualties from 2018-2025²
• 2022 marking the deadliest year on record with 51 incidents³
• Significant spike during 2021-2022, coinciding with post-COVID school reopenings⁴
• 2020 saw the lowest number (10 incidents) due to widespread school closures⁵
• Texas recorded the highest number of school shootings (65 total) since 2018⁶

School Shooting Perpetrator Demographics

• Average age of 16 years, with most perpetrators being current or former students⁷
• 81.3% are White, significantly higher than other forms of mass violence⁸
• 100% male among K-12 school shooters, representing the most gender-specific category of mass violence⁹
• 87.5% are current or former students of the targeted school¹⁰
• 62.5% have history of playing violent video games¹¹
• 74.9% had previous suicide attempts¹²
• Over two-thirds have documented childhood trauma history¹³

Politically Motivated Violence and Domestic Terrorism

Ideological Breakdown

Right-wing extremism dominates both incident frequency and lethality:¹

• 75-80% of domestic terrorist attacks¹
• 90%+ of domestic terrorism fatalities¹
• Most lethal category of domestic terrorism¹

Demographics of Political Violence Perpetrators

Right-Wing Extremists

• Age: Predominantly 18-35 years old¹
• Race: 80-90% White¹
• Gender: 90%+ male¹
• Geographic: More prevalent in rural and suburban areas¹
• Political Affiliation: Conservative, often aligned with Trump-era rhetoric¹

Left-Wing Extremists

• Age: 20-40 years old¹
• Race: More racially diverse than right-wing counterparts¹
• Gender: 60% male (more gender-balanced)¹
• Geographic: Concentrated in urban areas¹
• Political Affiliation: Progressive, anarchist, or anti-fascist ideologies¹

Lethality Comparison

Right-wing attacks are substantially more lethal, with 28 fatalities from 38 incidents in 2021, while left-wing attacks resulted in only 2 fatalities from 31 incidents.¹

Mass Shootings Demographics

• Age: Range from 11-72 years with average age of 34³
• Race: 53% White, 21% Black, 9% Latinx, 7% Asian³
• Gender: 97% male³

Notable Trends

White and Latinx shooters are slightly underrepresented relative to general population; Black shooters are slightly overrepresented. Male dominance is consistent across all categories of mass violence.³

January 6 Capitol Attack Demographics

• Average age of 39, with largest representation in 40-49 age group⁴
• 87% male (613 of 704 charged individuals)⁴
• 52% from Biden-won counties, 48% from Trump-won counties⁴
• 12% had prior military experience⁴

Red States vs Blue States Analysis

Complex geographic patterns:¹

• School shootings show no clear red/blue state pattern; Texas (red state) has highest total incidents²
• Right-wing attacks occur nationwide but show some correlation with rural areas¹
• Left-wing incidents concentrate in urban areas regardless of state politics¹
• Red states show higher overall homicide rates; blue states have stronger gun laws and lower per-capita gun deaths⁵

State-Level Violence Data Limitations

• Definitional variations across sources¹
• Political affiliation often inferred, not explicit¹
• Recent timeframe limits historical context¹
• Underreporting of ideologically unclear incidents¹

Conclusions

Political violence is overwhelmingly perpetrated by right-wing extremists, predominantly White males aged 18-35, responsible for the majority of lethal domestic terrorist attacks. Left-wing violence accounts for fewer incidents and fatalities.¹

School shootings are a distinct category with exclusively male, predominantly White (81.3%) perpetrators, mostly current or former students, with 232 incidents marking unprecedented violence.²

Violence occurs across red and blue states, with right-wing extremism showing rural/suburban patterns and left-wing incidents urban concentration. January 6 attack drew participants from both red and blue counties.¹

Male predominance (87-100%) across all categories is a key demographic pattern, highlighting the gender dynamics relevant for prevention.¹

Citations

1. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Domestic Terrorism Analysis: https://www.csis.org/analysis/domestic-terrorism-us
2. Gun Violence Archive Data: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/data
3. Mass Shooting Demographics Studies: https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=7326
4. January 6 Capitol Attack Demographics: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases
5. CDC National Center for Health Statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm