Mass Shooters by Gender

There’s a lot of misinformation about mass shootings (which are defined as 4+ killed in a public place not including the shooter, unconnected to family or crime-related violence). Although these types of targeted attacks are rare, the gender of mass shooters is a mainstream talking point, so we compiled the cold, hard facts on the subject.

In a report written and compiled by Cassandra McBride for Ammo.com, they analyzed every mass shooting incident between 1968 and 2026. Here are the highlights:

• Between 1968 and 2026, there were 197 male mass shooters in the U.S.
• Between 1968 and 2026, there were two female mass shooters in the U.S.
• Between 1968 and 2026, there were two confirmed transgender mass shooters in the U.S.

Mass shootings, also known as targeted attacks, accounted for 0.08% of all gun deaths since 1968. The report covers the shooters’ genders. 

Methodology

This analysis examines U.S. mass shootings using a narrow, event-based definition. Incidents that did not occur in public places with fewer than four fatalities (excluding the shooter) were not counted. Incidents involving family or domestic violence, gang or criminal activity, and spree shootings were also excluded, as these types of shootings have varying causes and factors.

The historical dataset on mass shootings spans 1968 through early 2026. It is compiled primarily from The Violence Project and FBI active shooter reporting, and supplemented by Mother Jones for cross-referencing and recent updates. Qualifying 2025-2026 incidents were added manually based on verified fatality counts and public reports.

Shooter gender was identified using official court records, law-enforcement statements, and consistent reporting by reliable news outlets. Transgender or non-binary classifications were included only when gender identity was explicitly documented in court filings or widely reported by credible sources; rumor-based or contested claims were excluded.

Per capita rates are based on modern U.S. population estimates. Gender identity (outside of male and female) was inconsistently recorded in earlier decades. Adopting a broader definition of “mass shootings” produces larger incident counts, but does not alter the overall gender distribution of shooters.

There were nearly 2 million gun deaths in the U.S. between 1968 and 2025. Of those, mass shootings accounted for 0.08% of all gun deaths (1,450). Males committed the largest percentage of them.

How Many Mass Shooters Are Male?

Of the 201 mass shooters in the U.S. between 1968 and 2026, 197 were male.

What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Male

Males committed 98% of mass shootings in the U.S. since 1968.

Female Mass Shooters 1968-2026

Female mass shooters are rare. All reported female mass shooters acted with male accomplices.

How Many Mass Shooters Are Female?

Females account for two of the 201 mass shooters since 1968.

What Percentage of Mass Shooters Are Female

Females committed 1% of mass shootings in the U.S. since 1968.

Transgender Mass Shooters 1968-2026

Of the 201 mass shooters in the U.S. between 1968 and 2026, two were committed by transgender individuals.

Transgender people account for 1.2% of the U.S. population in 2026. Only two confirmed transgender individuals committed a mass shooting (where four or more people were killed in a public place) since 1968.

Note: A broader definition of “mass shooting,” such as that used by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), yields 5,748 mass shootings in the U.S. since 2012. Of those, five shooters were transgender. Expanding or narrowing the definition has no statistically significant impact on the overall rates of the genders of mass shooters.

Mass Shooting Definitions

The definition of “mass shooting” varies depending on the source. Many publications use a narrow definition (e.g. excluding gang/family violence), while others use broader ones (e.g. including all shootings, or incidents of brandishing in public places).

Databases that use broader definitions include all causes, while those that include only a narrow scope of shootings measure targeted attacks. This report focuses on targeted attacks, rather than all incidents of public shootings.

The GVA counted 5,748 mass shootings in the U.S. since 2012. It does not list all shooters’ genders, and includes all public shootings with four or more victims (including injuries and fatalities).

Mother Jones counted 158 mass shootings since 1984. This database only includes indiscriminate shootings in public places where four or more victims are killed, excluding the shooter. It also excludes crime-related violence (gangs, drive-by shootings, etc.) and family violence.

The Violence Project counted 198 mass shootings between 1966 and 2024. This database focuses on mass shootings, rather than all incidents of gun violence (i.e. four or more killed excluding the shooter, with no connections to crime or family violence).

For the purposes of this article, mass shootings and shooter gender are defined as clearly and consistently as the available data allow. Inconsistent historical recording of gender identity, especially for transgender individuals, limits the scope of inference that can be drawn from the data.

Wrap-Up

Mass shootings are a rare occurrence, constituting 0.08% of all gun deaths in the U.S. since 1968. Mass shooters were predominately male, while female mass shooters were always accompanied by male accomplices. Transgender shooters have only been identifiable in recent years, but account for very few mass shootings across all databases.

Sources

1. U.S. Mass Shootings and Mass Shooters: The Violence Project
2. US Mass Shootings, 1982-2025: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation
3. Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2024
4. Mass Shootings in the US: Fast Facts
5. Mass Shooting Fact Sheet
6. Non-Binary Shooting Suspect Faces Judge in Colorado
7. Behavioral Threat Assessment of Elizabeth Audrey Hale

About the Author

Wayne Creed

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