Mass shootings

Call Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Hotline at 855-999-3776 (ERPO). They're available 24/7 to provide relevant resources related to Extreme Risk Protection Orders and information on the process to file for one.

The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line is available for free, immediate, and human support 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling with an emotional, mental health, or substance use concern, call or text 988, or live chat with a counselor online.

If you are concerned about someone hurting others, call Colorado’s Extreme Risk Protection Hotline at 855-999-ERPO (3776). They are available 24/7 to provide resources related to Extreme Risk Protection Orders and information on the process to file for one.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, Safe2Tell is a statewide reporting system for youth, families, and community members to report safety concerns, which are sent to the appropriate school and/or law enforcement officials for response. Reports can be made by calling 877-542-SAFE (7233) or using their online reporting form.

Overview

No standard federal definition exists for mass shootings, making it difficult to fully understand the burden of these incidents. This Resource Bank will use the definition of a mass shooting used by the Gun Violence Archive: four or more people are shot—either injured or killed—not including the shooter.

• Mass shootings make up about 1% of all injury and death involving firearms. 
• From 2014 to 2022, 21,006 people were injured or killed in mass shootings in the United  States.
• Most mass shootings are connected to community violence or intimate partner violence.

School firearm violence, often referred to as “school shootings,” includes any shooting incident, regardless of the number of victims, that happens on school property and results in fatal or nonfatal injuries. 

• Shootings at public places, including schools and workplaces, are rare compared to other types of mass shootings. 
• From 2014 to 2022, school and workplace shootings made up about 1% of all mass shootings in the United States. Media and news outlets cover these public mass shootings more often than mass shootings related to community violence or intimate partner violence, which can make people think they happen more frequently and can also increase the emotional impact on victims, their families, and society.

In Colorado

• In a ten-year period, from 2014 to 2023, Colorado experienced 77 mass shootings in which 103 people were killed and 299 were injured. 
• In 2023, more than half (54%) of Colorado adults reported they were concerned about mass shootings happening in their community, and 32% avoided large crowds to protect themselves or their families from the possibility of firearm-related harms.

Prevention and intervention

Mass shootings can be prevented by addressing the needs of individuals and the community circumstances that lead to them. For more information on these strategies, refer to the secure firearm storage, out-of-home firearm storage, lethal means safety counseling, and firearm business partnerships webpages.