A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers kill or injure multiple individuals simultaneously using a firearm. Mass shootings have been documented using a variety of methods, including via body cameras and closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).[1] Filmed mass shootings have been controversial due to their content, availability, and ability to quickly spread across social media platforms.[2][3][4] In response to this, several governments, most notably New Zealand in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings,[5][6] have outlawed the distribution of filmed mass shootings. Livestreaming has notably been a way for mass shooters to gain public attention, and several notable mass shootings were livestreamed, either through webcams or body-worn cameras.[7] Livestreaming has also been shown to inspire copycats for several reasons.[8][9]
University of Texas tower shooting: A man murdered his wife and mother before entering his university where he killed three and wounded two inside. He then perched himself on top of the university and opened fire on the people below, killing a further twelve and injuring twenty-nine before being shot dead by police. The shooting on top of the tower was caught on live television by journalists recording on the ground.
San Antonio parade shooting: 64-year-old Ira Attebury opened fire on crowds of spectators watching the Battle of Flowers parade, killing 2 people and injuring 55 others. Attebury killed himself after his rifle jammed during a 90 minute standoff with police.
Queen Street massacre: A man entered Australia Post offices and opened fire on people within the building, later committing suicide by jumping from the 11th floor. The shooter was spotted by the building's CCTV system.
North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers opened fire on LAPD units following a botched robbery of the North Hollywood branch of Bank of America, injuring 12 police officers and 8 civilians. One of the bank robbers committed suicide and the other one bled to death after being incapacitated by the police. A large portion of the 44-minute shootout was captured by cameras on police and news helicopters and also by news crews on the ground.
1997 Detroit shootings: A man shot and killed three people with a shotgun, before being killed by police. The shooting spree was captured on at least one security camera.
Columbine High School massacre: Two students opened fire on their classmates and staff, killing 13 before committing suicide. Brief portions of the shooting were captured on the school's security camera system.
Red Lake Shootings: One former student kills 2 people at home before opening fire on their classmates and staff, killing 7 more before committing suicide. Some parts of the shooting were filmed on the school's security camera system and never released.
2007 SuccessTech Academy shooting: A freshman opened fire on students and staff, injuring five before committing suicide. The shooting was captured on the school's internal security camera system.
Westroads Mall shooting: A teenager opened fire at the Westroads Mall, killing eight people before shooting himself. The shooting was captured by surveillance cameras.
Atlantis Plastics shooting: An employee at a plastic factory fatally shot his supervisor before entering the break room and shooting several other co-workers. A surveillance camera in the break room captured the shooting.
Winnenden school shooting: A former student kills 12 and wounds 7 at his former school. Before rampaging around, killing 3 and wounding 2 more before dying in a police standoff. The shooter's final moments were filmed by a bystander.
2010 West Memphis police shootings: Two men fatally wounded two police officers before being killed. The shooting was captured on body cameras worn by officers who were responding to the attack.
Hartford Distributors shooting: A recently fired employee at an alcohol distribution warehouse shot 10 co-workers, killing eight, before he killed himself. Surveillance video captured parts of the shooting.
2011 Tucson shooting: A man attempted to assassinate politician Gabby Giffords, and fatally shot six people while carrying out the attack. Portions of the shooting were captured on the security cameras positioned outside of a nearby store, and the footage was never released to the public.
2011 Medford pharmacy shooting: A man killed two employees and two customers at a pharmacy before stealing painkillers and pills and fleeing with his wife as the driver. The entire shooting was captured by surveillance video.
Toulouse and Montauban shootings: A heavily-armed Jihadist on a motorcycle shot several soldiers and targeted students and teachers at a Jewish school. In addition to being filmed by CCTV, the entire spree was filmed by the shooter, who wore a camera strapped to his chest, and later sent the footage to a Qatari news agency, who did not air the video.
2012 Empire State Building shooting: A man shot and killed a former co-worker before being killed by police. The shooting was captured on a security camera located outside of the Empire State Building.
2012 Moscow shooting: A man armed with a semi-automatic shotgun entered a warehouse and shot at staff, killing six. Security cameras located in the building showed the attacker roaming the halls of the warehouse.
Clackamas Town Center shooting: A man armed with a stolen AR-15-style rifle entered a shopping center and shot at storegoers, fatally wounding two before committing suicide. The entire shooting was documented on the shopping center's CCTV system.
Westgate shopping mall attack: Four Al-Shabaab militants, armed with assault rifles, opened fire on shoppers at a mall, resulting in the deaths of 71, including all of the attackers. The shooting was widely documented on security cameras, and footage of the attack was widely circulated.
Washington Navy Yard shooting: An employee opened fire on his fellow staff, murdering twelve and injuring eight others before being shot and killed by police. The attacker was captured driving into a garage shortly before the shooting, and the attack itself was documented on the building's security camera system.
2014 Isla Vista killings: A former college student fatally stabbed his two roommates and their friend before going on a shooting and vehicle ramming spree, killing three more people by gunfire before committing suicide by shooting himself in the head. CCTV footage caught the man shooting into a pizza restaurant and delicatessen as people ran for cover.
Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting: A man shot and killed four people–two Israeli, one French, and one Belgian–at the Jewish Museum of Belgium. The gunman fled and was arrested six days later in Marseilles, France. The Islamic State took responsibility for the attack. The gunman had attempted to film the shooting with a chest-mounted camera, but it failed to activate. Part of the shooting was seen on surveillance camera.
Charlie Hebdo shooting: Two Islamic terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula opened fire on staff at a newspaper building, fatally shooting 12. The attack was widely documented by security cameras located on the streets of Paris and by bystanders, who recorded the attack from balconies.
2015 Sousse attacks: A terrorist identified as Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi opened fire on people at a beach before entering a hotel and shooting tourists, killing 38 people, before he was killed by security forces.
Murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward: 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II shot news reporters Allison Parker and Adam Ward while they were interviewing someone, killing them and injuring the person interviewed.
CCTV, Police body camera (used by responding officers)
Pulse nightclub shooting: An Islamic terrorist identified as Omar Mateen armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a pistol opened fire on partygoers, killing 49 before being shot and killed by police. The event was captured on the club's security cameras, and was also documented on the body cameras of police officers who responded to the shooting.
Cascade Mall shooting: A man walked into a shopping mall and then entered a clothing store, where he would fatally shoot five people at random. The shooter was captured roaming around the store on the mall's security camera system.
Colegio Americano del Noreste shooting: A high school student, armed with a handgun, shot four people, killing one, before committing suicide. A security camera located inside of the classroom where the shooting took place in captured the incident.
Quebec City mosque shooting: A man opened fire at a mosque, killing six and wounding several others. The shooting was captured by surveillance cameras inside the mosque.
2017 Lima shooting: A man opened fire on shoppers at a shopping center, killing five and wounding nine others before being shot in the head by police. The attack was captured on the center's security camera system.
CCTV, Police body camera (used by responding officers)
Clovis library shooting: A 16-year-old male gunman ditched his plan to open fire at his former high school, angry over the fact that he had been suspended from the facility, and instead opened fire at a local library, shooting and killing 2 employees and injuring 4 others before surrendering to responding officers just before they arrived. The entire ordeal was caught on CCTV footage and police body cams.
2017 Las Vegas shooting: A gunman opened fire on a country music festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 60 and wounding several hundred. The shooting is the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in American history.
Sutherland Springs church shooting: A man armed with a rifle and two pistols opened fire on churchgoers during a service. He would later flee the scene and shoot himself after being wounded by a bystander. The events inside the church were captured by a camera set up at the back of the church that was meant to record services for uploading online.
Parkland High School shooting: An expelled student opened fire on students and staff at a high school in Florida, killing 17 before being arrested an hour later. The shooting was captured on the school's security camera system.
Nashville Waffle House shooting: A 29-year-old man with schizophrenia shot several people at a Waffle House while naked from the waste down, killing four, before a customer wrestled the rifle out of his hands. CCTV footage captured the shooting both inside and outside the restaurant.
Jacksonville Landing shooting: A man who was attending a gaming tournament opened fire on other players, killing two before committing suicide. A webcam was positioned at one of the victims, and the entirety of the shooting was captured on the webcam.
2018 Cincinnati shooting: A man armed with a pistol shot people at random, before being killed. The shooting was captured on the body cameras of several responding officers.
Kerch Polytechnic College massacre: A student armed with a nail bomb and shotgun shot at fellow students, resulting in the deaths of 21. The shooting and bombing were both documented on the college's security camera system, car video recorders, and students' phone cameras.
Christchurch mosque shootings: A heavily armed man entered two separate mosques and opened fire on people inside, killing 51. The first shooting was captured on the shooter's helmet camera, which was live-streamed on Facebook before being taken down.
2019 El Paso shooting: A domestic terrorist armed with a WASR-10 rifle shot at storegoers in a Walmart, killing 23. The attacker was captured entering the building on security cameras. Videos were also taken by people inside of the Walmart via cellular devices.
2019 Dayton shooting: A man fired 41 rounds into a crowd, killing nine people before being shot and killed by nearby police officers. CCTV footage captured the gunman as bystanders fled.
Poway synagogue shooting: A man armed with an AR-15-style rifle entered a synagogue and shot four people, one fatally. The attacker was captured on security cameras entering the synagogue before opening fire.
Halle synagogue shooting: A neo-Nazi attempted to shoot inside of a synagogue, but instead fatally shoots two people on a street and in an eatery. The attack was livestreamed via a helmet camera worn by the attack, and was also captured on Halle's CCTV cameras.
West Freeway Church of Christ shooting: A man armed with a shotgun opened fire on churchgoers, killing two before being fatally shot in the head by a civilian. The attack was live-streamed via a camera inside of the church.
CCTV, Bystander video, body camera (perpetrator), livestream
Nakhon Ratchasima shootings: Over two days, a former Thai soldier carried out a series of shooting, resulting in the deaths of thirty people. The attacks were widely documented, being recorded on the city's CCTV camera system and by bystanders.
2020 Vienna attack: An Islamic terrorist shot at people in six different locations, killing four before being killed by police. Several of the shootings were captured on Vienna's security camera system. A bystander also took a video of the attacker shooting a sleeping man on a street.
Buffalo, Minnesota clinic attack: A man entered an Allina Health clinic and shot several employees, killing one and wounding four. He also set off several bombs, which did not injure anyone but caused significant damage to the building. Parts of the shooting were captured by surveillance cameras.
Indianapolis FedEx shooting: A self-described brony with a suspected interest in white supremacy and a definite interest in mass killers, drove to his former workplace and opened fire, killing 8 and injuring 4 by gunfire. The perpetrator exited and entered the establishment multiple times and did so a final time to turn the gun on himself. Indoor and outdoor surveillance footage caught the ordeal occurring.
Kazan school shooting: A former student fatally shot 7 eighth-grade students and 2 teachers. The opening moments of the shooting were captured on the school's CCTV camera system.
Plymouth shooting: A fight broke out between a mother and her 22-year-old son which resulted in the son shooting and killing his mother. The gunman then exited his home and went on a shooting spree around his neighbourhood, killing a further 4 and injuring 2 before turning the gun on himself when confronted by an officer. Snippets of the shooting were caught on CCTV footage from houses in the neighbourhood.
Perm State University shooting: A man opened fire on students and staff at a university in Perm, fatally shooting six. Portions of the shooting were captured on the university's CCTV system.
Collierville Kroger shooting: A Kroger employee opened fire inside the store, killing a woman and injuring several others. CCTV cameras captured part of the shooting.
A man opened fire inside his former workplace, a security guard firm, before fleeing, injuring a policeman during the process. The gunman then entered a shootout with police in which he would be critically injured. The shooting inside the workplace was caught on CCTV cameras.
2021 Garland shooting: A teenager opened fire on several people sitting down in a Texaco convenience store, killing three and seriously injuring one other. The entire shooting was filmed on the convenience store's extensive CCTV system, which ran inside and outside of the building.
2022 Buffalo shooting: A man entered a Tops supermarket with an AR-15-style rifle and opened fire on storegoers, killing ten. Portions of the shooting were livestreamed on Twitch via a helmet camera worn by the attacker, but the stream was taken down before the shooting ended.
CCTV, Bystander video, Police body camera (used by responding officers)
Uvalde school shooting: A shooter, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and tactical gear, opened fire inside of two classrooms, killing 19 fourth graders and both teachers who taught the children. The opening moments of the shooting were captured on CCTV cameras located near the entrance, and a bystander filmed the shooter entering the school. The latter portions of the shooting were also captured on the body cameras of police who responded to the attack.
2022 Bend, Oregon shooting: A man opened fire upon his truck, a parking lot, and a grocery store, killing 2 and injuring 2 before turning the gun on himself. The events were caught on CCTV footage.
2022 Phoenix shooting: A man shot at pedestrians in the parking lot of a Days Inn Motel in Phoenix. The entire event was captured on CCTV cameras in and outside of the building.
2022 Memphis shootings: A man went on a shooting spree in Memphis, killing three. He livestreamed the attack via a cellular device on Facebook Live. Portions of the attack were also documented via street-positioned CCTV cameras.
2022 Bratislava shooting: 19-year-old Juraj Krajčík opened fire outside Tepláreň, a gay bar in Bratislava. In a manifesto posted to his Twitter before the shooting he would mention the group Terrorgram which earned him the nickname in the Terrorgram community as "Terrorgrams first saint"
Aracruz school shootings: A teenager opened fire on two schools, killing four and injuring twelve others. Portions of the shooting were captured on CCTV cameras, including the shooter running into one of the schools.
Colorado Springs nightclub shooting: A man, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and Glock 17 pistol, shot at patrons, murdering five. The moments leading up to and the initial moments of the shooting were captured on the club's CCTV camera system.
CCTV, Police body camera (used by responding officers)
2023 Nashville school shooting: A former student opened fire in an elementary school, killing three students and three teachers. The shooter was captured on CCTV cameras shooting through the school's glass doors and roaming the hallways. The shooter was killed by police, who captured the final minutes of the incident on their police-worn body cameras.
CCTV, Police body camera (used by responding officers), livestream
2023 Louisville bank shooting: A man who formerly worked at Louisville's Old National Bank branch opened fire on his former coworkers, killing five. Portions of the shooting were filmed by the bank's security cameras. Police who were responding to the shooting killed the perpetrator, which was captured on police-worn body cameras.
Police body camera (used by responding officers), Bystander video, Dashcam
2023 Allen, Texas mall shooting: A man, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, shot at storegoers who were shopping at the Allen Premium Outlets strip. Police who were on-scene prior to the shooting captured the attack on their body cameras.
2023 Farmington, New Mexico shooting: A teenager fired at homes and passing drivers in his neighborhood, killing three women and injuring six people. The shooting was captured by a home's Ring camera and police body cameras.
2023 Short North shooting: Multiple people shot at pedestrians, and 10 were injured as a result. The shooting was captured on the body cameras worn by officers who were already on-scene, dealing with another incident prior to the shooting.
2023 Jacksonville shooting: A White supremacist shot and killed three people at a Dollar General store before killing himself. The shooting was captured by the store's surveillance camera.
CCTV, Body cameras (worn by attackers and responding units), Dashcams
Nova music festival massacre: Several attackers opened fire on civilians at a music festival, killing 364 and wounding over fifty. The attack was widely documented on security cameras, dashcams, and body cameras. As of 2024, the attack remains the deadliest mass shooting ever captured on film.
Sapopemba State School shooting: A student opened fire on classmates with a pistol, shooting one fatally in the head. Portions of the shooting were captured on the school's camera system.
2023 Lewiston shootings: A man opened fire on partygoers at a bowling alley and at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston, fatally shooting 18. The shooter was observed entering the bowling alley via CCTV cameras before opening fire, and may have also been captured shooting at partygoers.
Perry High School shooting: A student livestreamed a mass shooting at his high school in Perry, Iowa on social media. Two people were killed and five others were injured before the shooter committed suicide. The shooting was also captured by CCTV.
2024 Minneapolis shooting: A man shot three people at his apartment building before fatally shooting a responding police officer. In the following shoot-out, a second officer and a bystander were injured and the gunman was killed. The deceased officer's body camera captured the gunman firing at him, and other officer's bodycam's captured the shootout.
2024 Fordyce shooting: A man armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm pistol opened fire at civilians at the Mad Butcher supermarket in Fordyce, killing four people and injuring ten others, including the perpetrator.
2024 Chicago train shooting: A man fatally shot four homeless people as they slept on a Chicago Transit Authority train. He fled the scene but was later apprehended. The shooting was captured by surveillance cameras on the trains.
2024 Jaffa shooting: Two men armed with assault rifles entered a mosque and opened fire on civilians, killing seven. The attack was captured on security cameras.
2024 Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters attack: Two men, armed with AKS-74U rifles and bombs, attacked an office building, killing five and injuring 22 others before being killed. The attack was captured on the building's security camera system.
Orlando Halloween shooting: A 17-year-old shot 9 people during Halloween festivities in Downtown Orlando, killing two people and injuring eight others, including seven by gunshot. The suspect identified as Jaylen Dwayne Edgar was subdued and arrested by officers.
Feather River School shooting: A man armed with a handgun identified as 56-year-old Glenn Litton shot two kindergarten students at a Christian school before killing himself.
A man opened fire at a university and wounded 6 people with a pistol before being subdued by bystanders. Video footage was caught on CCTV and phone camera footage by bystanders.
^"Vienna shooting: Gunman hunted after deadly 'terror' attack". BBC News. 2020-11-03. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Police said the incident began at about 20:00 (19:00 GMT) on Monday, near the Seitenstettengasse synagogue, when a heavily armed man opened fire on people outside cafes and restaurants. [...] the perpetrator, who was armed with an automatic rifle, a pistol and a machete.
^Meyer, Matt; Powell, Tori B.; Vogt, Adrienne; Sottile, Zoe; Raine, Andrew (May 6, 2023). "May 6, 2023 Texas mall shooting news". CNN. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.