On August 15, 2026, five people were shot at Charles Young Park in downtown Lexington, Kentucky — two of them children. It barely made national news. This documentary examines why incidents like it have become statistically unremarkable in the United States, using verified data from the Gun Violence Archive, the FBI, and the CDC.
This documentary relies exclusively on three verified datasets: the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that logs incidents from police and media reports; the FBI's annual Active Shooter Incidents reports; and the CDC's National Vital Statistics System for firearm mortality. Definitions differ across sources — see the methodology note below each chart.
"Mass shootings accounted for just 3.2 percent of shooting deaths tracked by GVA in 2026." The Trace, Gun Violence Data Report, July 2026
Analysis of public mass shootings by venue type, based on a Journal of the American Medical Association-linked national database of mass public shootings (1966–2019).
States with the largest populations and metro areas tend to report the highest raw incident counts. In 2024, Florida and California each recorded 40 mass shootings, followed closely by Illinois and Texas.
Each entry below is drawn from verified news and Gun Violence Archive-sourced reporting. Names of minors and unconfirmed victims are withheld in line with the editorial guidelines below.
Reporting on mass violence carries real risk of harm — to survivors, families, and communities. These guidelines, adapted from journalism trauma-reporting standards (Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Poynter Institute, AP Stylebook), govern how this project handles casework.
Perpetrators are named only when identification is essential to public safety context or already widely and responsibly reported. No manifestos, images, or biographical glorification.
Names and images of child victims are withheld absent explicit, verified family or official consent. Details are limited to what is necessary for factual accuracy.
Every incident referenced traces to at least one primary source (police statement, court record, or established news outlet) and, where possible, cross-checked against GVA or FBI data.
Research on "media contagion" links detailed, sensationalized shooter coverage to copycat risk. This project follows a "no notoriety" approach: focus on victims, systemic patterns, and policy — not perpetrator infamy.
Survivors and family members are never approached for comment through cold outreach in the immediate aftermath. Quotes are used only from on-record, previously published interviews.
Every individual incident is presented alongside its statistical and geographic context, avoiding standalone "shock" framing that strips events of pattern and meaning.
Different organizations define "mass shooting" differently. This affects every number in this documentary — transparency about definitions is part of responsible data journalism.
| Source | Definition used | 2024 count |
|---|---|---|
| Gun Violence Archive | 4+ people shot or killed, excluding shooter, one location/time | 502 incidents |
| FBI (Active Shooter Report) | Individual(s) actively killing/attempting to kill in a populated area | 24 incidents |
| CDC (NVSS) | All firearm deaths (homicide, suicide, accidental, legal intervention) | 27,593 total deaths |
| Congressional Research Service | 4+ killed, public location, excludes gang/profit-motive killings | Varies by sub-definition |