Research Group Challenges FBI Active Shooter Data
The Crime Prevention Research Center claims armed citizens stopped significantly more active shooter incidents than the FBI reports.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Violence
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A report from the Crime Prevention Research Center indicates that armed citizens successfully stopped 36.6 percent of active shooter incidents in the United States between 2014 and 2025. This figure starkly contrasts with the FBI, which identified 418 incidents in the same period but credited armed citizens with stopping only 3.9 percent.
Why it matters
The discrepancy highlights a fundamental disagreement over how to classify defensive gun use in public safety data. The report was released to provide further context following an October 15, 2026, school shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School where an armed citizen intervened.
The Crime Prevention Research Center identified 225 successful interventions by armed citizens out of 615 total incidents. The FBI report identifies 418 incidents total, with only 16 instances where armed citizens stopped an attacker.
The players
Crime Prevention Research Center
This is a non-profit organization that conducts research into gun laws, gun ownership, and the impact of firearms on crime rates.
John Lott
He is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and an economist known for his research on firearms and crime policy.
FBI
This is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating federal crimes and maintaining national crime statistics.
The details
The Crime Prevention Research Center claims the FBI omits specific cases where armed citizens intervened, leading to an undercount of defensive actions. Researchers also cataloged 35 additional instances where attackers were stopped by armed citizens before any shots were fired, a category they noted the FBI typically excludes from its tally.
Timeline
The analysis of active shooter incidents spans the years 2014 through 2025.
An armed citizen stopped an attack at Silver Rail Elementary School on October 15, 2026.
Legal Context
This study challenges the standard benchmarks established by the FBI's Active Shooter Incidents in the United States reports. It seeks to redefine how federal agencies categorize defensive gun use versus general criminal activity.
The findings suggest that citizens may play a larger role in public safety during active shooter events than previously indicated by official federal data. This may influence local discussions regarding civilian firearm possession and community security preparedness.
The takeaway
Understanding the metrics behind public safety data is essential for assessing the efficacy of different security strategies in active shooter situations. Readers should note that data variance often stems from how different agencies define and classify violent events.
Further reading
Explore more analysis regarding Violence trends and incident reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Breitbart.
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