Codebook

Every variable in the Active Attack Data, version 2025: what it records, its values, and how often it is missing.

The data have one row per attack, 634 attacks from 2000 through 2025, in 46 variables. Counts below are from this version of the data. Download the data and this codebook on the Active Attacks page.

634
Attacks: 46
Variables: 2000–2025
Years: 2025
Version

How to read the data

What counts as an active attack

An active attack occurs when an individual or individuals is actively killing or attempting to kill multiple unrelated people in a public space. The key word is actively: events that law enforcement learns of only after they end are excluded. Any weapon counts.

Attacker variables

Age, sex and race carry a suffix for each attacker (age_1, age_2, age_3). For an attack with one attacker, the _2 and _3 variables are empty. The order is arbitrary.

Inclusive counts

Variables ending in _incl use the FBI’s more inclusive definition. ALERRT counts only people shot, wounded or killed by the attacker; an injury suffered while fleeing is not in wound_tot.

Versions

Version 2025 was released September 8, 2026 and corrected November 6, 2026. Every change is listed under Updates on the Home page.

Variables

When 6 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`case_code` Case code ID number Identifier, not a running count: cases removed on review leave gaps.	Identifier	634 distinct values	none
`date` Date of attack (ymd)	Date	2000-03-02 to 2025-12-26	none
`year` Year of attack	Number	2000 to 2025, median 2018	none
`month` Month of attack	Category	Jan 42 Feb 44 Mar 49 Apr 65 May 59 Jun 63 Jul 58 Aug 58 Sep 51 Oct 46 Nov 54 Dec 45	none
`day` Day of attack	Category	Sun 78 Mon 99 Tue 83 Wed 105 Thu 88 Fri 88 Sat 93	none
`hour` Hour of attack (24hr)	Number	0 to 23, median 12	none

Where 7 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`zip_code` Approximate ZIP code ZIP code nearest the attack, kept as text so leading zeros survive.	Text	606 distinct values	none
`city` City of attack	Text	437 distinct values	none
`state` State of attack	Text	50 distinct values	none
`location_primary` Initial attack location	Category	Military base 7 Medical facility 21 Church 22 Office 32 Factory/warehouse 52 Other 62 School 85 Outdoors 175 Retail 178	none
`school_level` Grade level of school Only recorded when location_primary is School.	Category	k-5 (elementary school) 9 k-8 2 6-8 (middle school) 9 6-12 1 9-12 (high school) 36 community college 4 university 24 school board 2	547 (86%)
`escalated` Attack began as an altercation	Category	No 586 Yes 48	none
`mobile` Attack occurred across multiple locations	Category	No 504 Yes 130	none

Attackers 11 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`offender_count` Number of attackers	Number	1 to 3, median 1	none
`relationship` Relationship between attacker(s) and victims	Category	Other 7 Indirect 41 Student 72 Coworker 99 No relationship 415	none
`age_1` Age of attacker (1) Attacker order is arbitrary; _2 and _3 are empty for one-attacker events.	Number	12 to 88, median 31	13 (2%)
`age_2` Age of attacker (2)	Number	14 to 50, median 22.5	622 (98%)
`age_3` Age of attacker (3)	Number	25 to 26, median 25.5	632 (100%)
`sex_1` Sex of attacker (1)	Category (as text)	Male 615 Female 19	none
`sex_2` Sex of attacker (2)	Category (as text)	Male 9 Female 3	622 (98%)
`sex_3` Sex of attacker (3)	Category (as text)	Male 2 Female 1	631 (100%)
`race_1` Race of attacker (1)	Category	Other 4 Middle Eastern 18 Asian 22 Latino 86 African American 185 Caucasian 299	20 (3%)
`race_2` Race of attacker (2)	Category	Other 0 Middle Eastern 0 Asian 5 Latino 1 African American 5 Caucasian 1	622 (98%)
`race_3` Race of attacker (3)	Category	Other 0 Middle Eastern 0 Asian 1 Latino 0 African American 1 Caucasian 0	632 (100%)

Weapons 5 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`weapon_primary` Most powerful weapon present (by calibre if firearm)	Category	Vehicle 13 Knife 30 Shotgun 53 Rifle 185 Pistol 347	6 (0.9%)
`weapon_pistol_tot` Number of pistols present	Count (as text)	0 177 1 356 2 69 3 20 4 4 5 1 8 1	6 (0.9%)
`weapon_shotgun_tot` Number of shotguns present	Count (as text)	0 550 1 76 2 2	6 (0.9%)
`weapon_rifle_tot` Number of rifles present	Count (as text)	0 447 1 158 2 21 4 1 5 1	6 (0.9%)
`weapon_tot` Number of all weapons	Number	0 to 13, median 1	none

People shot, wounded and killed 15 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`shot_tot` Number of individuals shot	Number	0 to 471, median 3	none
`shot_tot_incl` Number of individuals shot (inclusive definition) Inclusive (FBI) definition; see the note on _incl variables.	Number	0 to 547, median 4	10 (2%)
`shot_cit_tot` Number of citizens shot	Number	0 to 469, median 3	none
`shot_le_tot` Number of law enforcement shot	Number	0 to 14, median 0	none
`shot_guard_tot` Number of private security/security guards shot	Number	0 to 3, median 0	none
`wound_tot` Number of individuals wounded	Number	0 to 413, median 2	none
`wound_tot_incl` Number of individuals wounded (inclusive definition) Inclusive (FBI) definition; see the note on _incl variables.	Number	0 to 489, median 2	43 (7%)
`wound_cit_tot` Number of citizens wounded	Number	0 to 413, median 2	none
`wound_le_tot` Number of law enforcement wounded	Number	0 to 25, median 0	none
`wound_guard_tot` Number of private security/security guards wounded	Number	0 to 2, median 0	none
`kill_tot` Number of individuals killed	Number	0 to 58, median 1	none
`kill_tot_incl` Number of individuals killed (inclusive definition) Inclusive (FBI) definition; see the note on _incl variables.	Number	0 to 58, median 1	43 (7%)
`kill_cit_tot` Number of citizens killed	Number	0 to 56, median 1	none
`kill_le_tot` Number of law enforcement killed	Number	0 to 5, median 0	none
`kill_guard_tot` Number of private security/security guards killed	Number	0 to 3, median 0	none

How the attack ended 2 variables

Variable	Type	Values	Missing
`resolution` Attack resolution	Category (as text)	Fled 198 Shot by police 138 Suicide before police arrival 87 Subdued by citizens 60 Subdued by police 57 Suicide after police arrival 49 Surrendered 16 Shot by citizen 15 Shot by security 8 Shot by off duty officer 6	none
`resolved_pre_le` Attack was resolved prior to law enforcement arrival Attackers who fled are counted as resolved before police arrived.	Category	Yes 368 No 266	none

Suggested citation

Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center. (2026). Active Attack Data (Version 2025) [Data set]. Texas State University. https://activeattackdata.org

BibTeX

@misc{alerrt_active_attack_data_2025,
  author       = {{Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center}},
  title        = {Active Attack Data},
  year         = {2026},
  version      = {2025},
  publisher    = {Texas State University},
  howpublished = {\url{https://activeattackdata.org}},
  note         = {Data set}
}

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