Sunday’s mass shooting marked the 10th such event in Texas in 2024 and the second mass shooting in Dallas this year. We tracked mass shootings in the state last year as well. Texas finished with over 60 for 2023. In less than a year since a gunman murdered eight people at the Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023, Texas has endured more than 50 mass shootings.
There isn’t one definition of “mass shooting” that has been adopted across the board. For example, the FBI defines a mass shooting as a shooting incident in which four or more people are murdered, not just shot. The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit research group that collects reports of gun violence events from more than 7,500 law enforcement, media and government sources to provide real-time information on its website, defines mass shootings a bit differently than the FBI, stating:
Mass Shootings are, for the most part, an American phenomenon. While they are generally grouped together as one type of incident they are several different types including public shootings, bar/club incidents, family annihilations, drive-by, workplace and those which defy description but with the established foundation definition being that they have a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident.
Texas led the nation in mass shootings according to GVA in 2023. Already this year, the Lone Star State sits at the top of the list again this year with 10 mass shootings as of April 18, tied with California and Florida. Illinois has had 9 mass shootings so far in 2024 and Louisiana 8.
According to Ammo.com, “It is estimated that Texas has more guns than any other state, with 1,005,555 guns and just over 29 million residents.” WiseVoter says that Texas ranks 15th in registered gun rate (total number of registered firearms per 1,000 people).
There have been 116 American mass shootings in 27 different states (and Washington D.C.) in the 107 days of 2024.https://t.co/2OhPFpsw7r pic.twitter.com/kzOTky2eHT
— The Gun Violence Archive (@GunDeaths) April 16, 2024
Gun violence at Texas schools has continued in 2024 as well. Although not a mass shooting incident, a student shot another teen in the leg at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas on April 12. In February, a teen carrying a gun was injured when police shot at him inside of a Mesquite charter school when the student appeared to lift the gun during negotiations.
The lengths to which top state officials will go to keep guns around was on display recently when Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against a number of entertainment venues that allegedly prevented off-duty police officers from carrying their guns into the venues.
Here are all the mass shootings in Texas in 2024 so far (as of April 18, according to the Gun Violence Archive):
January 13: Richmond, 17006 Cory Cornel LaneVictims Killed: 4; Victims Injured: 0 (suspect also killed)
January 14: Houston, 4400 block of Mooney Road
Victims Killed: 0; Victims Injured: 4
January 21: Katy, 4643 Russet Leaf Trail
Victims Killed: 3; Victims Injured: 2
February 9: Dallas, 220 Stoneport Drive
Victims Killed: 0; Victims Injured: 5
March 2: Houston, 5101 Washington Ave.
Victims Killed: 0; Victims Injured: 4
March 16: El Paso, 2285 Trawood Drive
Victims Killed: 1; Victims Injured: 3
March 27: Houston, 3403 Love St.
Victims Killed: 1: Victims Injured: 3
March 31: Paris, 1355 Eighth St. NE
Victims Killed: 0; Victims Injured: 4
April 7: San Antonio, 11135 Wye Drive
Victims Killed: 0; Victims Injured: 6
April 14: Dallas, 4530 Collins Ave.
Victims Killed: 1; Victims Injured: 8
