The Worst Mass Shooting in Every State’s History

Authorities are investigating a deadly mass shooting that occurred at the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday. Gunfire broke out near Union Station as fans were leaving the championship celebration, killing one individual and wounding at least 21 others.

But this is, sadly, only the latest example of what has been common in recent history.

Newtown, Connecticut; Manley Hot Springs, Alaska; Hamilton, Ohio; Red Lake, Minnesota; Tyrone, Missouri; Carthage, North Carolina. These are not just small towns in the United States, they are places where mass shootings took place, where families were destroyed, where the scars of unspeakable crimes last forever. They are the towns where the worst mass shooting took place in their respective state.

To find the worst mass shooting in every state, 24/7 Tempo culled information from media sources including CNN, PBS, the New York Times, wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International, various local and regional media outlets, sites such Smithsonian Magazine, History, and Britannica. Data for mass-shooting episodes in South Dakota and Wyoming was incomplete.

The reasons or motives behind these horrific incidents are as old as humankind itself: revenge, grudges, rejection by a job or partner, stress, and racism. Mass shootings have occurred in malls (Idaho), homes (Ohio), places of worship (South Carolina), and the workplace (Oklahoma).

Of the 10 worst mass shootings on our list, seven of them have occurred in the 21st century. Twenty-nine states experienced their worst mass shooting episode in the 21st century. Most of these incidents have involved pistols and/or an AR-15-style rifle, a lightweight semi-automatic rifle. (Here is a list of the darkest crime in every state’s history.)

Alabama

• Date: May 10, 2009
• Fatalities: 11

Alaska

• Date: May 17, 1984
• Fatalities: 9

Arizona

• Date: Aug. 9-10, 1991
• Fatalities: 9

Arkansas

• Date: Dec. 22-28, 1987
• Fatalities: 8

California

• Date: July 18, 1984
• Fatalities: 23

Colorado

• Date: April 20, 1999
• Fatalities: 15

Connecticut

• Date: Dec. 14, 2012
• Fatalities: 26

Delaware

• Date: July 31, 2021
• Fatalities: 2

District of Columbia

• Date: Sept. 16, 2013
• Fatalities: 13

Florida

• Date: June 12, 2016
• Fatalities: 50

Georgia

• Date: July 27-29, 1999
• Fatalities: 10

Hawaii

• Date: Nov. 2, 1999
• Fatalities: 7

Idaho

• Date: Oct. 25, 2021
• Fatalities: 3

Illinois

• Date: Feb. 14, 1929
• Fatalities: 7

Indiana

• Date: April 15, 2021
• Fatalities: 9

Iowa

• Date: Nov. 1, 1991
• Fatalities: 6

Kansas

• Date: Nov. 15,1959
• Fatalities: 4

Kentucky

• Date: Sept. 14, 1989
• Fatalities: 9

Louisiana

• Date: Jan. 7, 1973
• Fatalities: 10

Maine

• Date: Oct. 25, 2023
• Fatalities: 18

Maryland

• Date: June 28, 2018
• Fatalities: 5

Massachusetts

• Date: Dec. 26, 2000
• Fatalities: 7

Michigan

• Date: July 7, 2011
• Fatalities: 8

Minnesota

• Date: March 21, 2005
• Fatalities: 10

Mississippi

• Date: May 27, 2017
• Fatalities: 8

Missouri

• Date: Feb. 26, 2015
• Fatalities: 8

Montana

• Date: Dec. 17, 2019
• Fatalities: 4

Nebraska

• Date: Dec. 5, 2007
• Fatalities: 9

Nevada

• Date: Oct. 1, 2017
• Fatalities: 61

New Hampshire

• Date: Aug. 19, 1997
• Fatalities: 4

New Jersey

• Date: Sept. 6, 1949
• Fatalities: 13

New Mexico

• Date: Jan. 19, 2013
• Fatalities: 5

New York

• Date: April 3, 2009
• Fatalities: 14

North Carolina

• Date: March 29, 2009
• Fatalities: 8

North Dakota

• Date: July 14, 2023
• Fatalities: 2

Ohio

• Date: March 30, 1975
• Fatalities: 11

Oklahoma

• Date: Aug. 23, 1986
• Fatalities: 15

Oregon

• Date: Oct. 1, 2015
• Fatalities: 10

Pennsylvania

• Date: Sept. 25, 1982
• Fatalities: 13

Rhode Island

• Date: Dec. 20, 2019
• Fatalities: 2

South Carolina

• Date: June 17, 2015
• Fatalities: 9

South Dakota

• Date: N/A
• Fatalities: N/A

Tennessee

• Date: March 27, 2023
• Fatalities: 7

Texas

• Date: Nov. 5, 2017
• Fatalities: 27

Utah

• Date: Jan. 4, 2023
• Fatalities: 8

Vermont

• Date: Aug. 19, 1997
• Fatalities: 1

Virginia

• Date: Aug. 16, 2007
• Fatalities: 33

Washington

• Date: Feb. 19, 1983
• Fatalities: 13

West Virginia

• Date: Dec. 8, 2020
• Fatalities: 6

Wisconsin

• Date: March 12, 2005
• Fatalities: 8

Wyoming

• Date: N/A
• Fatalities: N/A