School Shootings Database Uses Very Broad Definition

On Dec. 2, Time magazine ran the headline: “The Michigan School Shooting Shows That COVID-19 Isn’t the Only Thing American Kids Need Protection From.”

The article cited a national database compiled by Education Week. It lists 29 incidents in 2021 under the label “school shootings.”

Of those 29 incidents, nine occurred at after-school sporting events. Two involved adults in cases of domestic violence. Nationwide, there were an estimated 48.1 million students enrolled in public schools in kindergarten through grade 12 in the U.S. in 2020.