Denver mass shooting is the 500th nationwide this year
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A downtown Denver shooting that wounded five people Saturday night marked the country's 500th mass shooting in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Yes, and: The 501st came hours later when one person died and five others were wounded early Sunday in El Paso, Texas.
What's new: Denver police said Monday a woman who was twice denied entry to Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row venue on Market Street pulled a gun and opened fire after confronting security. The five victims were not the intended targets, police said.
- No arrests have been made but police released a photo of the woman and asked for the public's help in identifying her.
By the numbers: Just five years ago, the country had never experienced 500 mass shootings in one year, Axios' April Rubin writes.
- 2018: 335 mass shootings
- 2019: 414 mass shootings
- 2020: 610 mass shootings
- 2021: 689 mass shootings
- 2022: 645 mass shootings
Flashback: The 500 threshold was crossed in September in the past two years, according to the archive. In 2020, it occurred in October.
Between the lines: The FBI does not define or quantify what constitutes a mass shooting.
- Gun Violence Archive, an independent research organization, defines it as a shooting in which four or more people were shot or killed, not including the shooter.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the latest from Denver police.