Fact check: Il y presqu'un fusillade par jour dans les écoles des états-unis

1. Summary of the results

The statement about daily school shootings in the United States requires important context and nuance. While recent data shows 327 school shooting incidents in the 2021-2022 school year ^[1], and firearms are indeed brought to schools almost daily ^[2], the definition and classification of these incidents vary significantly. Since the Columbine massacre in 1999, there have been 426 documented school shooting incidents ^[3], affecting over 31,000 children and adolescents in 2024 alone ^{[3] [2]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements need to be considered:

• The K-12 School Shooting Database uses a broad definition that includes instances where a gun is merely brandished, fired, or a bullet hits school property, regardless of casualties ^[1]
• School shootings have occurred across 21 different states in recent years ^[2]
• Historical data shows how statistics can be misleading - for example, in 2018, media reports of 18 school shootings were found to be significantly exaggerated, as many incidents didn't meet the common understanding of a school shooting ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement oversimplifies a complex issue:

• While technically accurate in terms of raw numbers, it doesn't distinguish between different types of incidents
• Various stakeholders benefit from different interpretations of these statistics:
• Gun control advocates benefit from highlighting the highest possible numbers
• Gun rights advocates benefit from stricter definitions that yield lower numbers
• Media organizations benefit from sensational headlines, as demonstrated by the 2018 incident of exaggerated reporting ^[4]