New Study Suggests for Every Mass Shooting Fatality Over 5 Individuals Injured

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The recent school shooting fatalities have weighed heavy on the nation, and have opened up a whole host of questions that remain unanswered.

One study published last fall showed a large increase in mass shootings in the U.S. since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a finding that seems to support the notion that extreme violence may be influenced by social and economic environment. Overall, statistics show that 38 percent of the world’s 50 most deadly mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. and accounts for 31 percent of global perpetrators. Mass shootings are the most common mass casualty in the U.S., and some studies are showing the frequency of these events have more than tripled in the last decade when compared to the previous decade.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, last year there were 692 mass shootings in the U.S. with Illinois ranked in first place with 86 separate reported incidents in which 388 were injured, and 60 were killed. Texas had the second highest number of incidents at 57, with 235 injured and 68 killed. California came in third with 46 reported incidents, 60 fatalities and 168 injuries. Nebraska, Alaska tied for last with 1 reported event and fatality each, and a total of 8 injuries. July 4^th ranked as the most deadly day for mass shootings with 11 incidents occurring, resulting in 7 deaths and 51 injuries. October 17^th was the second deadliest day with 8 incidents, 7 deaths, and 43 injuries.

While non-fatal gunshot sounds account for most of the injuries in these events, most studies have focused on deaths, which potentially skews the numbers and risk. Some statistics show that 230 people per day sustain a nonfatal gunshot wound, equivalent to an injury every 7 minutes.

In a recent study, researchers from Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Puerto Rico posed the question what are the injury characteristics and outcomes in public mass shootings? 

The researchers retrospectively reviewed nonfatal injuries from 13 consecutive mass shootings across 31 hospitals. Injury date was July 20,2012 to August 31, 2019. The researchers reviewed trauma logs to capture injuries, procedures, length of stay, and functional impairment. A total of 403 victims were treated in the hospitals.

The average age of the patients was 33, with 51.9 percent women. Ethnicity was only available on 386 patients. Of those, 69.9 percent were white, 11.4 percent were African American, 15.3 percent were Hispanic, and 3.4 percent were Asian. Total injuries included 252 gunshot wounds at 62.5 percent, 112 or 27.8 percent had other injuries. A total of 39 patients, equating to 9.7 percent had no physical injuries.

Of the 494 body regions injured, 57.1 percent included an extremity. Abdomen or pelvis region totaled 13.4 percent. Head and neck accounted for 13.2 percent, and chest totaled 10.1 percent.

Of these, 53.1 percent arrived by ambulance. Overall, 147 patients at 36.5 percent were admitted to the hospital. Those that underwent 1 surgical procedure totaled 95 equating to 23.6 percent. Those that underwent multiple procedures totaled 42 equating to 10.4 percent, and averaging 1.82 procedures per patient. The most common initial procedures were general and trauma surgery at 16.3 percent. Orthopedic surgeries accounted for 14.3 percent. In the emergency department, 148 of 364 injured patients had a total of 199 procedures, averaging out to 1.34 per patient.

The average length of hospital stay was 4 days. There were 50 patients in intensive care, with an average stay of 3 days.

Among 364 injured patients, 44 percent had functional disability at discharge, and 13.3 percent were released to long-term care. The average charges per patient was $64,976. The researchers concluded that for every death, 5.8 individuals are injured.

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