Some of the Deadliest School Shootings in the US – Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Parkland

The only elementary school shooting that has a higher death toll than Uvalde is that of the Sandy Hook massacre.

A still from the Sandy Hook shooting.

(Photo Courtesy: NPR)

Video Producer / Editor: Shohini Bose

As the death toll crossed 20 in the mass shooting that occurred at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, 24 May, it has already become one of the deadliest school shootings in the history of the United States.

The only elementary school shooting that has a higher death toll than the Uvalde shooting, for now, is the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where the death toll was 26.

The death toll at Uvalde as of now is 21 – 19 children and two adults.

Here's a horrifying fact before we proceed any further: There have been 27 school shootings with injuries or deaths this year alone, according to Education Week, an independent news organisation.

In this article, we look at five of the deadliest school shootings that have occurred in the US, including the Uvalde tragedy.

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, Connecticut (2012)

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on 14 December 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut.

Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Of the victims, 20 were children aged between six and seven.

Sandy Hook continues to be the deadliest elementary school (for children aged between five and 11) shooting in US history.

The shooter killed himself by shooting himself in the head just about when the police started arriving at the scene.

The then US President Barack Obama had said at the time, "we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

Robb Elementary School Shooting, Uvalde (2022)

While details are still emerging, the latest tragedy in the list is the Robb Elementary School shooting that occurred on 24 May 2022.

Eighteen-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos opened fire at the school, killing at least 21 people, out of which were 19 are children.

It is the deadliest school shooting in the history of the state and the second deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school after Sandy Hook.

Law enforcement authorities have now reportedly killed the perpetrator.

Commenting with anguish on the shooting, US President Joe Biden said, "As a nation, we have to ask, when in God's name are we going to stand up to gun lobbying? When in God's name will we do what we all know in our gut that needs to be done?"

Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting, Parkland (2018)

A teenager opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on 14 February 2018.

Nikolas Cruz was only 19-years-old when he committed the heinous crime that killed 17 and injured 17 others.

He was a former student at the school and fled the scene after killing spree, but was arrested about an hour later.

The Parkland land shooting became the deadliest high school shooting in US history, crossing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that will be discussed later on.

Former US President Donald Trump had said at the time, "no child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school."

Santa Fe High School Shooting, Texas (2018)

Another deadly mass shooting from 2018 is one that occurred at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, on 18 May 2018.

Ten people, that is, eight students and two teachers, were murdered by Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17-year-old student at the school.

The shooter was reportedly singing Another One Bites the Dust, a famous song by the British rock bank Queen, in between shots.

Pagourtzis was arrested but is now currently incompetent to stand trial.

Following the shooting, Trump had said that his "administration is determined to do everything in [its] power to protect our students"

Columbine High School Shooting, Colorado (1999)

Not only was this an incident of mass shooting, but a bombing attempt had also been made by the perpetrators at Columbine High School on 20 April 1999.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, aged 18 and 17 respectively at the time of shooting, murdered 12 students and one teacher before killing themselves in the school library.

They had also planted several homemade bombs around the school, which they could not detonate.

It was the deadliest high-school shooting at the time, and became so infamous that the word 'Columbine' is often used as a tag for school shootings.

In light of the massacre, former President Bill Clinton had asked, "How many more people have to get killed before we do something?"