Everytown School Shooting Map Gives Misleading Data

Gun control activist organization Everytown for Gun Safety released new data last week documenting a supposed average of 1.37 school shootings every week since the Newtown, Connecticut 2012 shooting.

However, a closer study by journalist Charles C. Johnson showed that the anti-gun organization’s label of “school shooting” is misleading. When most people think of the term “school shooting,” they imagine the mass murders that took place at Columbine High School, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Yet, Everytown’s data includes “assaults, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings” that happen “inside a school building or on school or campus grounds.”

Here are some of Johnson's findings:

"School shooting" at Brush High School, OR listed by Everytown was after hours, off campus, over a girl. Ban girls? http://t.co/PVT0uHbQvQ
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) June 11, 2014

"School shooting" listed by Everytown was accidental discharge by buddy from bullet that ricocheted off floor. Oops. https://t.co/DHD9ucGHze
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) June 11, 2014

Union University "school shooting" listed by Everytown gun map was guy shooting his fiancee in parking lot. Staged it to look like suicide.
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) June 11, 2014

Another fake school shooting from Everytown. Kent State student shoots self in hand, bought gun for protection. http://t.co/BzuogFI1AH
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) June 11, 2014

One point to remember is that most of these shootings took place in “gun-free zones” – more proof that outlawing guns or creating gun-free zones has no effect on criminals who wish to use them. Law-abiding Americans should be able to protect themselves and their families; not have their rights taken away in an attempt to control criminals who will break the law regardless. Everytown does citizens a disservice by inaccurately portraying data to support greater gun control.