FBI Undercounts Civilian Interventions in Active Shooter Incidents: Report

A recent analysis by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) reveals that armed civilians play a far larger role in stopping active shooter attacks in the United States than federal statistics indicate.

From 2014 to 2024, the FBI reported that civilians intervened in only 14 out of 374 active shooter incidents, a rate of 3.7 percent. 

CPRC’s research, however, identified 561 instances during the same period, with armed citizens stopping 202 attacks—about 36 percent of all cases. 

When incidents in designated “gun-free zones” are excluded, that number rises to 52.5 percent, highlighting a significant discrepancy in how civilian interventions are recorded.

Part of the discrepancy stems from how the FBI categorizes civilian interventions. 

Some individuals who acted to stop shooters were recorded as “security guards,” even if they were private citizens. 

Additionally, incidents in which suspects fled the scene were often omitted. 

A notable example occurred in 2019 during a church shooting in White Settlement, Texas, where a parishioner shot and killed the gunman. 

The FBI classified the response as the work of a security guard, though the man held no professional credentials.

CPRC President John Lott emphasized the difference between perception and reality. 

“Law-abiding citizens stopping these attacks are not rare. What is rare is national news coverage of those incidents,” he said. 

Lott cited the 2022 Greenwood, Indiana, mall shooting, where 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken stopped a gunman who had already killed three people. 

Major news outlets, including Reuters and CNN, described the intervention as “uncommon,” despite the clear evidence of civilian heroism, Just the News reports.

The CPRC report also highlighted incidents overlooked by the FBI in 2024. 

In June, a woman in Martinsburg, West Virginia, returned fire against two men who had opened fire in her apartment complex, prompting them to flee and likely preventing further violence. 

In March, a man in Thomasville, North Carolina, fired on a group in a public area and armed bystanders returned fire, killing the attacker and preventing additional casualties.

 Both cases were excluded from the FBI’s official count, The Daily Caller highlights.

The FBI has defended its methodology, stating its reports are “not intended to explore all active shooter incidents” but serve as a “baseline understanding.” 

Critics, however, argue that undercounting civilian interventions distorts public perception. 

Former Justice Department official Theo Wold commented, “When the Bureau gets it so systematically wrong, it shapes the entire national debate.”

Public opinion underscores the potential impact of armed civilians. 

A 2022 Trafalgar Group poll found that 42 percent of voters believe armed citizens provide the most effective protection against mass shootings, compared with 25 percent who trust local police. 

The data suggests a growing public recognition that civilians with firearms can meaningfully reduce casualties during violent events.

The CPRC’s findings challenge long-held assumptions in both federal reporting and mainstream media coverage, demonstrating that responsible civilians regularly prevent deadly attacks. 

These cases offer tangible evidence of the effectiveness of armed civilian intervention and provide context for ongoing debates over gun rights and public safety.

As the discussion over firearms continues, CPRC’s data suggests that the contributions of law-abiding, armed citizens are far from exceptional—they are a recurring and measurable element in reducing casualties during active shooter events, underscoring the need to accurately record and recognize their interventions.

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