Mass Shootings in California
Over the weekend, two high-profile, hate-motivated mass shootings—one in Buffalo, New York, and one in Laguna Woods, California—have again turned national attention toward race-related gun violence. In California, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, there is a mass shooting nearly every week. Reducing the prevalence of mass shootings remains a persistent challenge for the state and the nation.
Mass shootings are typically defined as incidents of gun violence that injure or kill four or more people. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, California experienced an average of 44 mass shootings per year between 2013 and 2021. That translates to one mass shooting every 8.3 days.
Mass shootings make up about 3% of all California homicides. Mass shooters killed an average of 49 people and injured 167 others in each of the last eight years. By comparison, more than 2,000 homicides occurred statewide in 2020.
While homicides have increased during the pandemic, mass shootings have remained stable since 2013, with some seasonal and annual fluctuations. California has experienced a mass shooting every seven to ten days each year. So far in 2022, the state has averaged one mass shooting every week.
Some incidents are deadlier than others, but about one person dies and four others are injured every time a mass shooting occurs—in California and nationally. Mass shooting data are not systematically recorded, so basic victim characteristics are often unknown. Of those killed or injured in mass shootings in California, 56% were male, 18% were female, and the gender of 26% is unknown.
Compared to citizens of other states, Californians are about 25% less likely to die in mass shootings. Between 2019 and 2021, the state’s annual mass shooting homicide rate of 1.4 per one million people was lower than the national average of 1.9.
Clean Scene Services is a strong supporter of the community and is an advocate for positive works for organizations that aim to stop gun violence. Some of these organizations include Everytown for Gun Safety, Public Policy Institute of California, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, The Brady Campaign, Americans for Responsible Solutions, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.