Mass shootings in Florida and around the U.S. are rising again.
Gunfire at a Seattle food festival near the city’s iconic Space Needle on July 26 left three people dead and four others injured, including a toddler. A 15-year-old boy has been detained, and authorities continue to search for a second suspect.
On July 24, Detroit authorities said Kristopher Karolkiewicz shot his wife, Amanda, and their six children and set fire to their home before taking his own life. In Illinois, two teenagers were charged after targeting members of a family across East St. Louis on July 12, leaving five dead and two others wounded. A 15-year-old girl related to the family and involved with the shootings may be charged as an adult, officials said.
And in just the last few weeks in Florida, four people were injured in a Lehigh Acres home; two people were killed and two injured during a dispute in Miami; a Royal Palm Beach man shot and killed his grandfather and wounded his brother, mother, and his mother’s friend; and a shooting in downtown Pensacola left six injured and a 19-year-old man dead.
Florida mass shootings increasing
Florida has seen 15 mass shootings this year to date, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines the term as any shooting with four or more victims.
That’s nearly twice as many as the number reported by this time last year.
Mass shootings were down dramatically last year in the state (and the country) compared to previous years, according to GVA data, bringing them back in line with pre-pandemic numbers. There were 16 mass shootings in Florida in 2025, a 50% drop from the 32 reported in 2024, and the first time since 2019 the total has been under 25. But numbers seem to be climbing again.
The GVA reports 271 mass shootings as of July 18. Last year, there were 255 reported in the same time period.
How many mass shootings in 2026 happened in Florida?
As of July 28, there have been 15 reported mass shootings in Florida, according to the GVA:
The GVA numbers, which have been disputed by pro-firearm organizations, may differ from the FBI or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as they collect data from more than 5,000 law enforcement, government, and media sources, the site explains. They also do not differentiate between gang or terrorist shootings and isolated or random incidents.
How many people were shot in the US so far in 2026?
According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of July 28:
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: With Seattle, Detroit deaths, mass shootings rising in US, Florida
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
