FBI report shows civilian interventions surged dramatically in 2025 active-shooter incidents

The FBI released its annual review of active-shooter events, documenting 34 attacks in 2025—a 42% increase over the prior year and resulting in 51 deaths and 115 injuries. While the yearly count sits below the five-year average of 43 and the broader trend is declining, the report highlights a striking rise in civilian involvement: seven incidents featured bystanders confronting shooters, more than one in five of all cases, up from a single instance in 2024.

Specific cases cited include a New Hampshire country-club patron striking a gunman with a chair, Indiana library visitors subduing a malfunctioning shotgun attacker, unarmed soldiers at a Georgia Army complex disarming a threat, and civilians in Ohio seizing a weapon. Two of the interventions involved firearms, another used a vehicle, and the rest relied on improvised means. The average police response time for such incidents is just under three minutes, emphasizing the importance of immediate civilian action. The report suggests that when seconds count, ordinary people often become the first line of defense.