Can people honestly "get along" with one another?
(The ages-old question which has no definite answer.)
​Most massacres and riots are instigated by attempts to suppress voting rights, land ownership, economic advancement, education, freedoms of the press, religion, speech, LGBTQ+ rights, and/or labor rights of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, poor Whites and immigrants. While often referred to as “race riots,” many have been massacres related to White supremacy, and/or economic, political and social advantages.​
Massacres and Riots in U.S. History
Uvalde School Shooting (May 24, 2022)
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Nineteen children and two teachers were shot dead at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas while law enforcement hesitated to confront the gunman for more than an hour. Some of these "law enforcement officers" have since been fired. The Uvalde School Shooting is the deadliest shooting in Texas public school history.
Buffalo Grocery Store Massacre (​​May 14, 2022)
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​An 18-year-old White supremacist killed ten people at a grocery store in a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. He posted a racist manifesto, spurred on by extremist social media ideology that was prophesying the elimination of the White race, online before perpetrating the deadly attack.
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Columbine High School Massacre (April 20, 1999) - A school shooting and attempted bombing occurred on , at in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth-grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 13 students and one teacher; ten were killed in the school library, where Harris and Klebold subsequently died by suicide. Twenty additional people were injured by gunshots and gunfire was exchanged several times with law enforcement with neither side being struck. Another three people were injured trying to escape.
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The Virginia Tech Shooting (April 16, 2007) - was a spree shooting comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Seung-Hui Cho, an undergraduate student at the university, killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols before committing suicide. Six others were injured jumping out of windows to escape Cho.
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Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting (June 12, 2016) - , 29-year-old Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States before Orlando Police officers fatally shot him after a three-hour standoff. In a 911 call made shortly after the shooting began, Mateen swore allegiance to the leader of the ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and said the U.S. killing of Abu Waheeb in Iraq the previous month "triggered" the shooting.[2] He later told a negotiator he was "out here right now" because of the American-led interventions in Iraq and in Syria and that the negotiator should tell the United States to stop the bombing. The incident was deemed a terrorist attack by FBI investigators
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The University of Texas Tower Shooting (August 1, 1966) - was an act of mass murder that occurred on, at the University of Texas at Austin. The perpetrator, 25-year-old Marine veteran Charles Whitman, indiscriminately fired at members of the public, both within the Main Building tower and from the tower's observation deck. Whitman shot and killed 15 people, including an unborn child, and injured 31 others before he was killed by two Austin Police Department officers approximately 96 minutes after first opening fire from the observation deck.
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The San Ysidro McDonald's Massacre (July 18, 1984) - was a mass murder, which occurred at a McDonald's restaurant in the San Ysidro neighborhood of San Diego, California, on July 18, 1984. The perpetrator, 41-year-old James Huberty, fatally shot 22 people, including an unborn baby, and wounded 19 others before being killed by a police sniper approximately 77 minutes after he had first opened fire.
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The Luby's shooting, also known as the Luby's Massacre (October 16, 1991) - was a mass shooting that took place on , at a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, United States. The perpetrator, George Hennard, drove his pickup truck through the front window of the restaurant before opening fire, killing 23 people and wounding 27 others. Hennard had a brief shootout with police officers in which he was seriously wounded but refused their orders to surrender and eventually killed himself. The shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, until it was surpassed in 2007 by the Virginia Tech shooting.
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Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida (February 14, 2018) - Seventeen killed in Florida High School Mass Shooting, Suspect Is Former Student Who Was Expelled
The Florida school shooting occurred at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, and the suspect is a former student. Seventeen people were killed in a mass shooting at a Florida high school Wednesday afternoon, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel announced Wednesday.
The shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland around dismissal time, and the suspect is in custody, Israel said.
Israel said the victims included both students and adults, but did not reveal specific numbers. The suspect, identified by Israel as Nikolas Cruz, 19, is in custody. Israel said he is a former student of the school who got expelled for disciplinary reasons.
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September 21, 2024Birmingham, Alabama41721September 2024 Birmingham shooting: Four people were killed and seventeen others were wounded after multiple shooters opened fire outside a bar in the Five Points South neighborhood.[21]
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January 4, 2024Perry, Iowa3[n 1][n 4]69Perry High School shooting: A 17-year-old male opened fire at Perry High School, killing one student and injuring seven others, including a school administrator, before committing suicide. The principal of the school, who was wounded during the incident, died from his wounds ten days later on January 14.​
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October 25, 2023Lewiston, Maine19[n 1]13322023 Lewiston shootings: A shooter opened fire at a bowling alley and a local bar, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. He was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later.
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May 6, 2023Allen, Texas9[n 1]7162023 Allen, Texas mall shooting: A man opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, killing eight people, and injuring at least seven others before being killed by police.
March 27, 2023Nashville, Tennessee7[n 1]1[n 5]82023 Nashville school shooting: A former student opened fire at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighborhood. Six people were killed, three of them children, and one police officer was injured by shattered glass. The perpetrator, 28-year-old Aiden Hale, was fatally shot by police.
February 13, 2023East Lansing, Michigan4[n 1]592023 Michigan State University shooting: A mass shooting occurred at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Three people were killed and five others injured.[68] The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being cornered by police.
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January 21, 2023Monterey Park, California12[n 1]9212023 Monterey Park shooting: Eleven people were killed and nine others injured after a gunman opened fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park after a Chinese New Year celebration in the city. The perpetrator shot and killed himself in a standoff with police the next day
November 19–20, 2022Colorado Springs, Colorado526[n 1][n 6]31Colorado Springs nightclub shooting: A gunman killed five after entering a local gay bar and 26 others, including the gunman, were wounded during the attack, 19 of them by gunfire. A suspect was later taken into custody.
October 24, 2022St. Louis, Missouri3[n 1]7[n 7]102022 Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting: A shooter, a former student, opened fire, killing two people and wounding four others before being shot and killed by police.[
October 13, 2022Raleigh, North Carolina5272022 Raleigh shootings: The shooter, a teenager, went on a shooting spree along the Neuse River Trail greenway and surrounding neighborhood
July 4, 2022Highland Park, Illinois74855Highland Park parade shooting: Seven people were killed and 48 others injured after a man fired a rifle from a rooftop at spectators attending Highland Park's Fourth of July parade.
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April 3, 2022Sacramento, California6[n 3]12[n 3]182022 Sacramento shooting: A shooting in downtown Sacramento killed six people and injured twelve others.[89] A suspect was arrested the next day.
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May 26, 2021San Jose, California10[n 1]0102021 San Jose shooting: Nine people were killed at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) rail yard in San Jose, California. After police arrived, the gunman committed suicide.
arch 22, 2021Boulder, Colorado102[n 1]122021 Boulder shooting: A mass shooting occurred at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, which left 10 people dead, including an on-duty police officer.
January 9, 2021Chicago and Evanston, Illinois6[n 1]282021 Chicago–Evanston shootings: 32-year-old Jason Nightengale shot 8 people at random, killing 5, before being fatally shot by police.
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March 15, 2020Springfield, Missouri5[n 1]272020 Springfield, Missouri shooting: A man committed a series of random drive-by shootings before crashing his vehicle at a gas station. He entered the business, where he killed four people and wounded two others before committing suicide.
August 4, 2019Dayton, Ohio10[n 1]27[n 12]372019 Dayton shooting: A gunman shot 26 people, killing 9, including his transgender sibling, and wounding 17 others outside of a bar. Ten others were wounded as they fled the scene. The perpetrator was killed by police after the first shots were fired in 32 seconds.
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August 3, 2019El Paso, Texas23[n 13]22452019 El Paso shooting: A gunman shot 45 people, killing 23 and wounding 22 others at a Walmart Supercenter near the Cielo Vista Mall. The attack was a hate crime targeting Hispanic immigration and was influenced by the Christchurch mosque shootings. The perpetrator was arrested by police.
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May 31, 2019Virginia Beach, Virginia13[n 1]4172019 Virginia Beach shooting: A gunman killed 12 people and injured four others at a municipal building. The gunman was killed by police.
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November 7, 2018Thousand Oaks, California13[n 1]1629Thousand Oaks shooting: A man entered a bar hosting a student line-dancing event and killed 12 people, including a police officer. 16 other people were injured, one of them by gunfire. The gunman then killed himself.
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October 27, 2018Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania117[n 1]18Pittsburgh synagogue shooting: A man opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in an antisemitic attack, killing 11 people and injuring six others (including four police officers). The suspect, 46-year-old Robert G. Bowers, was taken into custody by police.
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May 18, 2018Santa Fe, Texas1014[n 1]242018 Santa Fe High School shooting: A student at Santa Fe High School shot and killed 10 people and wounded 14 others. Explosive devices were also found, but they were not detonated. The suspect was taken into custody by police
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Oct. 24 and 27, 2018: Hate Crimes in Kentucky and Pennsylvania
Two hate crime shootings in one week, one of African American shoppers in Kentucky and the other of Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh.
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June 17, 2015: Charleston Church Massacre
Nine African American churchgoers were gunned down inside a church in an act of white supremacist terrorism.
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Aug. 5, 2012: The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin Massacre
A white supremacist shot and killed six members of the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
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May 13, 1985: Philadelphia Police Bomb the MOVE organization
The Philadelphia Police Department dropped a C-4 bomb on the home of the MOVE organization, killing eleven people (including five children) and wiping out half a city block.
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Nov. 3, 1979: Greensboro Massacre
Five people were killed when the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis fired on an anti-Klan rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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June 24, 1973: UpStairs Lounge Massacre
The largest LGBTQ massacre in U.S. history (until the Orlando Massacre) occurred at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans.
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Feb. 8, 1968: Orangeburg Massacre
Two years before the Kent State murders, 28 students were injured and three were killed in Orangeburg, South Carolina — most shot in the back by the state police while involved in a peaceful protest.
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July 11, 1947: Anguilla Prison Massacre
A camp warden and guards shot dead eight prisoners being held at the Anguilla Prison in Georgia. The Anguilla Prison Massacre Quilt Project tells that story, drawing on records from the NAACP.
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May 30, 1937: Memorial Day Massacre
The Chicago Police Department shot and killed ten unarmed demonstrators in Chicago on Memorial Day.
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March 21, 1937: Ponce Massacre
Police shot peaceful protesters, killing 19 and wounding over 200 others in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
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Dec. 29, 1923: Terror Attack on African Americans in Catcher, Arkansas
The Catcher “Race Riot” began in Arkansas, leading to the creation of another sundown town.
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Jan. 1, 1923: Rosewood Massacre
White supremacists destroyed the Black town of Rosewood, Florida, and murdered many of its residents. Descendants have fought for reparations and recognition of the history.
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May 31, 1921: Tulsa Massacre
In one of countless white supremacist massacres in U.S. history, white supremacists destroyed a thriving Black community in Oklahoma, known today as the Tulsa Massacre.
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Nov. 2, 1920: The Ocoee Massacre
More than fifty African Americans killed in the Ocoee Massacre after going to vote in Florida.
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Nov. 22, 1919: Bogalusa Labor Massacre, Attack on Interracial Solidarity
The Bogalusa Labor Massacre was an attack on interracial labor solidarity in Louisiana.
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Sept. 30, 1919: Elaine Massacre
Black farmers were massacred in Elaine, Arkansas for their efforts to fight for better pay and higher cotton prices. A white mob shot at them, and the farmers returned fire in self-defense. Estimates range from 100-800 killed, and 67 survivors were indicted for inciting violence.
July 27, 1919: Red Summer in Chicago
Sparked by a white police officer’s refusal to make an arrest in the murder of a Black teenager, violence in Chicago lasted almost a week. At least 38 people were killed and thousands of Black homes were looted and damaged during Red Summer.
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July 19, 1919: White Mobs in Uniform Attack African Americans — Who Fight Back — in Washington, D.C.
White mobs, incited by the media, attacked the African American community in Washington, D.C., and African American soldiers returning from WWI. This was one of the many violent events that summer and it was distinguished by strong and organized Black resistance to the white violence.
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Jan. 28, 1918: Porvenir Massacre
Fifteen Mexican-Americans were killed by Texas Rangers during the Porvenir Massacre.
April 20, 1914: Ludlow Massacre
The National Guard fired on striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado.
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July 29, 1910: Slocum Massacre in Texas
Citizens in the small, predominately African American town of Slocum, Texas, were massacred.
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Aug. 14, 1908: Springfield Massacre
This massacre was committed against African Americans by a mob of about 5,000 white people in Springfield, Illinois.
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​​Nov. 10, 1898: Wilmington Massacre
The elected and interracial Reconstruction era local government was deposed in a coup d’etat in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Sept. 10, 1897: Lattimer Massacre
Nineteen mineworkers were killed and dozens were wounded in the Lattimer Massacre.
Aug. 5, 1896: Polk County Massacre
White workers murdered Black workers in Arkansas who were coming to work on the railways.
Dec. 29, 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre
A Lakota encampment on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was attacked by the U.S. Army and close to 300 Native Americans were murdered near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota.
Nov. 23, 1887: Thibodaux Massacre
Between 30-60 striking Black Louisiana sugarcane workers were massacred.
May 27, 1887: Massacre at Hells Canyon
In eastern Oregon, in an area now known as Chinese Massacre Cove, a group of white men murdered 34 Chinese laborers in a brutal act of white supremacist violence in the Hells Canyon Massacre.
March 17, 1886: Carroll County Courthouse Massacre
The Carroll County Courthouse Massacre left 23 Black people dead when an armed white mob attacked an ongoing trial.
Sept. 2, 1885: Rock Springs Massacre
White coal miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming, brutally attacked Chinese workers.
Nov. 3, 1883: Danville Riot
African Americans voters were threatened after the Danville Riot, leading to their loss of political power in this majority African American city in Virginia.
July 8, 1876: Hamburg Massacre
During a clear sign of Reconstruction era voter suppression, a Black militia was accused of blocking a road and punished with the Hamburg Massacre.
Sept. 4, 1875: Clinton, Mississippi Massacre
Nearly 50 African-Americans were killed by white mobs during the Clinton Riot.
Dec. 7, 1874: Vicksburg Massacre
White people attacked and killed many Black citizens who had organized for a Black sheriff to remain in office during the Vicksburg Massacre.
Nov. 3, 1874: White League Attacks Black Voters
Deadly election “riots” took place in Barbour County, Alabama against African American politicians and voters.
April 13, 1873: Colfax Massacre
The Ku Klux Klan carried out the Colfax Massacre in response to a Republican victory in the 1872 elections.
Dec. 28, 1872: Skeleton Cave Massacre
The Yavapai people’s shelter of Skeleton Cave in Arizona was attacked by the U.S. Army, trying to force them to reservations.
Oct. 24, 1871: Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre
A lynch mob of 500 Anglo and Latino Los Angelinos rioted and murdered at least 17 Chinese residents after a white civilian died in a shootout.
Oct. 25, 1868: St. Bernard Parish Massacre
The St. Bernard Parish massacre of African Americans was carried out by white men to terrorize the recently emancipated voters in Louisiana.
Sept. 28, 1868: Opelousas Massacre
In response to the promotion of voter registration, a KKK-like group massacred hundreds of people, most of whom were African American.
Sept. 19, 1868: Camilla Massacre
As African Americans marched peacefully in response to their expulsion from elected office, more than a dozen were massacred near Albany, Georgia.
July 30, 1866: New Orleans Massacre
The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents attacked Black marchers near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.
May 1 – 3, 1866: Memphis Massacre
White civilians and police killed 46 African Americans and injured many more while burning houses, schools, and churches in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dec. 9, 1864: Ebenezer Creek Massacre
People who had escaped from slavery and were following the Union Army, were blocked from crossing the Ebenezer Creek, leading to their death.
Nov. 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre
A Colorado Cavalry unit, on orders from Colorado’s governor and ignoring a surrender flag, brutally attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. White abolitionist Silas Soule was assassinated for reporting on the event.
April 12, 1864: Union Soldiers Massacred at Fort Pillow
Confederate troops massacred over 500 surrendering Union soldiers, majority African American, at the Civil War Battle of Fort Pillow.
July 13, 1863: New York City Draft Riots and Massacre
The New York City Draft Massacre (“Riots”) were the largest civil insurrection in U.S. history besides the Civil War itself. White mobs attacked the African American community — committing murder and burning homes and institutions (including an orphanage.)
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Aug. 6, 1855: Bloody Monday
On election day, in Louisville, Kentucky, Protestant mobs attacked German and Irish Catholic neighborhoods.
July 27, 1816: The “Negro Fort” Massacre
The U.S. Army firebombed a fort on the Apalachicola River in Florida.
May 26, 1637: Pequot Massacre
Hundreds of Pequot villagers were massacred by the Puritans in Mystic, Connecticut.