1 Columbine High School Massacre
The Columbine High School Massacre took place on April 20, 1999, in Littleton, Colorado, United States. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two senior students, embarked on a killing spree that resulted in the deaths of 12 students and one teacher. The pair also injured 21 others before committing suicide, marking this as one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. This was a rough period for the end of the 90s and changed education laws in America. I couldn't decide whether this or Sandy Hook should be number one. One involved little children, and the other was described as the "9/11 of shootings." The perpetrators were named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Schools near Columbine had to close early because teachers were afraid, even though both perpetrators had committed suicide. They carried out the shooting and then killed themselves, reportedly because they were bullied. However, it's incomprehensible that they shot many innocent people randomly. They weren't making movies or doing pranks, contrary to what some students initially thought.
They were also racists. One of them used a racial slur against an African-American student and harassed him before they shot him. When they asked a girl if she believed in God and she said yes, they shot her. What kind of people do this? If this event had never happened, the world would be better, and many subsequent school shootings might have been averted.
2 Virginia Tech Massacre
On April 16, 2007, a tragic event known as the Virginia Tech Massacre occurred at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg, Virginia. A senior at the school, Seung-Hui Cho, unleashed a horrific attack, killing 32 people and wounding 17 others in two separate incidents. Cho then ended his life, leaving behind a tragedy recognized as one of the most deadly shootings by a single gunman in U.S. history. This was a shocker on the news for me, and I was only 11 at the time. My mom and grandmother were glued to the news report about this. Everyone at the restaurant we were at stared at the TV, saddened and devastated by this tragedy. It was another dark day for America.
This one killed more people than Columbine but wasn't as well-known as that one. So, this would take the number two spot.
In terms of death count, this is the worst.
3 Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting unfolded on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, U.S. Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old, shot and killed his mother at their home, then proceeded to the school where he murdered 20 children between six and seven years old, along with six adult staff members. Lanza committed suicide at the scene before law enforcement arrived. This should be number one because the victims were innocent children in 1st or 2nd grade. They were preparing for Christmas: spending family time, snacking on treats, opening presents, and watching Christmas movies. Instead, their lives were taken by Adam Lanza for no reason. He also shot his mother. It's heartbreaking because they were too young to die and never got the chance to live their lives and experience new things as they grew older. May the children rest with Jesus Christ in Heaven, while Lanza faces eternal damnation.
4 Dunblane Massacre
On March 13, 1996, a terrible tragedy known as the Dunblane Massacre unfolded at Dunblane Primary School near Stirling, Scotland. Thomas Hamilton, a 43-year-old former Scout leader, shot and killed 16 children and a teacher before turning the gun on himself. The incident, which lasted only a few minutes, resulted in the UK's deadliest mass shooting and led to significant changes in the country's gun laws.
5 University of Texas Massacre
The University of Texas Massacre, often referred to as the Texas Tower Shooting, took place on August 1, 1966, at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Engineering student Charles Whitman climbed the university's clock tower armed with multiple firearms and began shooting at individuals on the campus below. He killed 14 people and wounded 31 others before he was shot and killed by police. This event is one of the earliest mass school shootings in U.S. history.
6 Beslan School Seige
The Beslan School Siege was a horrific three-day hostage crisis that started on September 1, 2004, at School No. 1 in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia. A group of armed Chechen rebels took approximately 1,100 people (including 777 children) hostage. The ordeal ended with the death of at least 334 hostages, including 186 children, due to a chaotic and violent storming of the school building by Russian security forces. This remains one of the deadliest acts of terror in Russia's history. Why is this not number one? For one, it isn't just a one-hour shooting. It lasted three days and over 200 people were killed. Not to mention, bombs were used. This makes what happened in Orlando look like a Nerf Gun fight.
Most of the other incidents here lasted about 20 minutes and involved 5-20 fatalities. However, this one lasted three days. Hundreds were killed and countless others injured. It was so horrifying that even the Russian president cried.
This makes the Las Vegas shooting look like a squirt gun fight.
7 Erfurt Massacre
The Erfurt Massacre took place on April 26, 2002, at the Gutenberg-Gymnasium in Erfurt, Germany. A former student, 19-year-old Robert Steinhäuser, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, fatally shot 12 teachers, two students, a secretary, and a police officer before committing suicide.
8 Winnenden School Shooting
The Winnenden School Shooting occurred on March 11, 2009, at the Albertville-Realschule in Winnenden, Germany. A 17-year-old former student, Tim Kretschmer, initiated the attack, killing nine students and three teachers at the school. He fled the scene and killed three more people before taking his own life.
9 École Polytechnique Massacre
The École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, occurred on December 6, 1989, at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Marc Lépine, armed with a rifle and a hunting knife, shot and killed 14 women and injured 10 others along with four men before taking his own life. Lépine's suicide note revealed a hatred of feminists, and the event led to a national discussion on Canadian gun control laws and violence against women. It was horrible that a man with such hatred towards women would kill innocent people. Sadder still, the event has since been used to demonize men everywhere, every December 6. (I'm a woman, by the way.)
10 Parkland High School Florida Shootings
The Parkland High School Florida Shootings occurred on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A former student, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing 17 students and staff members, and injuring 17 more. This mass shooting led to nationwide protests and the creation of the student-led gun control advocacy group "March For Our Lives". Another stupid Valentine's Day massacre? Al Capone (aka Scarface) must be doing somersaults in his grave over this crazy fiasco!
Here's something notable. A YouTube account of Nikolas Cruz mentioned, "one day I'll become a professional school shooter," or something to that effect.
This is terrible to mention, but this is truly a Valentine's Day massacre gone horribly wrong.
The Contenders
11 Kauhajoki School Shooting
The Kauhajoki School Shooting took place on September 23, 2008, at the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences in Kauhajoki, Finland. Matti Juhani Saari, a 22-year-old student at the school, began the rampage by firing shots in a classroom, killing 10 people and injuring one before taking his own life. The massacre led to a significant revision of gun control laws in Finland. Most known for the YouTube video the perpetrator uploaded before the shooting. There's footage of the video, but the actual video was deleted by YouTube.
12 Rio de Janeiro School Shooting
The Rio de Janeiro School Shooting occurred on April 7, 2011, at the Tasso da Silveira Municipal School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, a 23-year-old former student, opened fire inside the school, killing 12 children and injuring 12 more before shooting himself. The attack, one of the worst in Brazilian history, shocked the nation and led to increased calls for better school security measures. Eleven innocent kids were killed by an ex-student of that school. This massacre should be number one because he killed innocent children who had nothing to do with his past problems (he was a bullying victim when studying at that school). Sadly, these children died, but thankfully, the assailant died before he could harm more kids.
So, I guess Brazil also has lax gun laws just like good old Eagleland.
13 Azerbaijan State Oil Academy Shooting
The Azerbaijan State Oil Academy Shooting occurred on April 30, 2009, at the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy in Baku, Azerbaijan. An armed assailant, later identified as Farda Gadirov, opened fire at the academy, killing 12 people and injuring 13 before committing suicide.
14 Santa Fe Texas Shooting
The Santa Fe Texas Shooting took place on May 18, 2018, at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. A 17-year-old student, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, began shooting with a shotgun and a revolver, killing 10 people and wounding 13 others. Pagourtzis was apprehended and charged with multiple counts of capital murder and aggravated assault. I remember hearing this and it was crazy.
15 Jeremy Wade Delle
The case of Jeremy Wade Delle occurred on January 8, 1991, at Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas. In an extreme act of despair, Delle, a 16-year-old student, shot himself in front of his classmates. The tragic incident was later referenced in the song "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, sparking further discussions about mental health and bullying in schools. A kid who shoots himself in front of his class is no joke.
16 Discovery Middle School Shooting
The Discovery Middle School Shooting took place on February 5, 2010, at Discovery Middle School in Madison, Alabama. A 14-year-old student, Hammad Memon, shot and killed fellow student Todd Brown during a class change. Memon was charged with murder and later pleaded guilty. Although there was only one death, the Discovery Middle School shooting in Alabama was very traumatic. Todd Brown was fourteen years old when he was shot to death by Hammad Memon in 2010. I currently attend DMS, and I know that in some ways, the students and staff have never recovered.
Todd Brown was a beautiful and amazing boy, a close friend of mine. I cannot stress enough how much he meant to me, to us, to Mrs. Brown, and the whole state of Alabama. May you find peace in the hands of the Lord, Todd, and thank you for being my friend.
17 Colegio Americano del Noroeste Massacre
The Colegio Americano del Noroeste Massacre happened on January 18, 2017, at the American School of the Northeast in Monterrey, Mexico. A 15-year-old student, Federico Guevara Elizondo, opened fire in a classroom, injuring three students and a teacher before taking his own life. The incident, which was one of the few school shootings in Mexico, prompted a nationwide discussion about school security and youth mental health.
18 Isla Vista Massacre
The Isla Vista Massacre, which took place on May 23, 2014, was a spree killing that began in the student community of Isla Vista, near the University of California, Santa Barbara. Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old former Santa Barbara City College student, killed six people and injured fourteen others before taking his own life. Rodger had emailed a lengthy autobiographical manuscript detailing his plans to his family and others before the attack, leading to widespread discussions about mental health support and gun control.
19 Thurston High School (Springfield, Oregon) Rampage
The Thurston High School Rampage occurred on May 21, 1998, in Springfield, Oregon. Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old student, opened fire in the school's cafeteria, killing two students and injuring 25 others. This followed Kinkel's murder of his parents at home the previous day. He was apprehended at the scene and later sentenced to nearly 112 years in prison without the possibility of parole. It's deeply troubling that he killed his parents before targeting children. Additionally, there were signs of odd behavior that could have been addressed but were not. This tragedy left the community in shock and devastation, which continues to this day.
Kip Kinkel decided to kill his parents before going to school, then went on a rampage, gunning down everybody in sight at the school.
20 SuccessTech Academy Shooting
The SuccessTech Academy shooting took place on October 10, 2007, at SuccessTech Academy, an alternative high school in Cleveland, Ohio. Asif Ahmed, a 14-year-old student, opened fire in the school, injuring two students and two teachers before taking his own life.
21 Bath School Massacre
The Bath School Massacre occurred on May 18, 1927, in Bath Township, Michigan, and remains one of the deadliest school mass murders in U.S. history. The incident was perpetrated by Andrew Kehoe, a 55-year-old school board treasurer, who detonated explosives he had planted in the Bath Consolidated School, killing 38 elementary school children and six adults, and injuring at least 58 other people. Kehoe killed himself in a subsequent car explosion. The tragedy has been cited as a classic example of mass murder-suicide and triggered discussions on school safety, mental health, and public awareness of potential threats.
22 Busto Arsizio Pizzeria and School Shooting
The Busto Arsizio Pizzeria and School Shooting took place on September 27, 2010, in Busto Arsizio, a town in Lombardy, Italy. The shooter, 34-year-old Renzo Lupano, opened fire in a pizzeria before moving to a nearby vocational school, where he continued his rampage. Lupano killed four people and injured several others before killing himself. On July 3, 1956, 30-year-old baking assistant Giuseppe Molinari went on a two-hour rampage in Busto Arsizio, Italy. He killed six in the pizzeria and 20 in the school before turning the gun on himself, totaling 27 dead, including the perpetrator. He used a very high-power submachine gun.
23 Robb Elementary School Shooting, Uvalde, TX
The Robb Elementary School shooting took place on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. An 18-year-old former student of the school, Salvador Ramos, fatally shot 19 students and two teachers, and injured 17 others. Earlier that day, Ramos had shot and severely wounded his grandmother at their home before driving to the school. He fired shots for approximately five minutes outside the school before entering unobstructed with an AR-15 style rifle through an unlocked side entrance door. Ramos then shut himself inside two adjoining classrooms, where he carried out the killings. He remained in the school for more than an hour before members of the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) fatally shot him, bypassing numerous local and state officers who had been in the school's hallways for over an hour. This was an absolutely horrible event. Nineteen children and two staff members in the school were murdered. RIP to all of the children and the two staff members. My prayers go out to their families.
24 Westside Middle School Massacre
The Westside Middle School Massacre took place on March 24, 1998, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The shooters, 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson and 11-year-old Andrew Golden, pulled the fire alarm during school hours and began shooting at people as they exited the building. The pair killed four students and a teacher while injuring ten others. Both shooters were apprehended and sentenced to confinement until they turned 21, as they were too young to be tried as adults. The incident provoked a nationwide debate on school safety, gun control, and the handling of juvenile offenders. Only five deaths. Not as bad as Columbine, but still, there were two perpetrators in this one too.
25 Santana High School Shooting
The Santana High School shooting occurred on March 5, 2001, in Santee, California. Charles Andrew Williams, a 15-year-old student, opened fire with a .22 caliber revolver, killing two fellow students and injuring thirteen others. Williams was apprehended on the scene by law enforcement and was later sentenced to life in prison. The tragic incident led to increased efforts in addressing bullying and implementing preventive measures in schools.