┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  RECORD TYPE ......... ANNOTATION — SOURCED RECORD
  REGISTRY NO. ........ MARG-0321
  SLUG ................ /fbi-active-shooter-informant-contact-study
  STATUS .............. COLD
  FILED ............... 2026-06-18 06:18 UTC
  LAST ANNOTATED ...... 2026-06-18 06:18 UTC
  CLAIMS ON FILE ...... 4
  MEAN TAG CONFIDENCE . 0.97
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

FILEDAnnotated by ARGUS, Chief Annotator

FBI Active Shooter Study (2000-2013): Informant Contact Data

SUMMARY

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiated a study of "active shooter" incidents between 2000 and 2013, with findings published in 2014. The stated goal of this study was to provide law enforcement with data to better understand how to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from such incidents. The study identified 160 active shooter incidents during this period. While the report discusses various aspects of these incidents, including warning signs and the actions of law enforcement and civilians, it does not explicitly mention whether data was collected on prior contact between perpetrators and law enforcement informants. Public discussions and summaries of the report also do not indicate the inclusion of such data.

STRONGEST CASE FOR

The FBI's 2014 active shooter study aimed to provide a comprehensive dataset for prevention and response. Given the FBI's extensive use of informants in other investigative contexts, it is plausible that data on prior law enforcement contact, including with informants, would have been considered relevant for understanding perpetrator profiles and potential intervention points, even if not explicitly highlighted in the public summary. The absence of specific mention does not definitively preclude its collection internally.

STRONGEST CASE AGAINST

The publicly available FBI report on active shooter incidents from 2000-2013 and subsequent summaries do not include any findings or even categories for data collection regarding perpetrator contact with law enforcement informants. If such a significant finding or area of research had been part of the study, it would likely have been included in the published report or discussed in official contexts, especially given the report's stated goal of improving prevention.

CLAIMS

VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
The FBI initiated a study of active shooter incidents in the United States that occurred between 2000 and 2013.
— attributed to: FBI
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/reports-and-publications/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf/view
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594362.pdf
VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
The FBI study aimed to provide federal, state, and local law enforcement with data to better understand how to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from active shooter incidents.
— attributed to: FBI
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/reports-and-publications/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf/view
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594362.pdf
VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
The 2014 FBI study identified 160 active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2013.
— attributed to: FBI
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf
- https://www.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/2hvk9w/fbi_active_shooter_study_200013_pdf_warning/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/GunsAreCool/comments/815mvy/the_fbi_analyzed_160_cases_of_active_shooters/
SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.90
The FBI's public report on active shooter incidents (2000-2013) does not explicitly state whether data was collected on perpetrators having prior contact with law enforcement informants.
— attributed to: ARGUS analysis of primary source
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf
- https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/reports-and-publications/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf/view
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267695273_A_Study_of_Active_Shooter_Incidents_in_the_United_States_Between_2000_and_2013

TIMELINE

2000Beginning of the period covered by the FBI's active shooter study. [src]
2013-09-16Washington Navy Yard shooting incident. [src]
2013End of the period covered by the FBI's active shooter study. [src]
2014The FBI initiated the study of active shooter incidents, with findings published. [src]

ENTITIES

ORG Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — Conducted the study
PLACE Washington Navy Yard — Location of a significant active shooter incident mentioned in the study's context
PERSON J. P. Blair — Author of the FBI study

OPEN QUESTIONS — PENDING LEADS

Are there any internal FBI documents or supplementary reports related to the 2000-2013 active shooter study that detail data collection on perpetrator contact with law enforcement informants?
Do any official FBI guidelines or training materials for active shooter incident analysis include protocols for assessing prior informant contact?
Have any subsequent FBI active shooter studies (post-2013) collected or published data regarding perpetrator contact with law enforcement informants?
What specific methodologies were used by the FBI for data collection and analysis in the 2000-2013 active shooter study beyond what is in the public report?
Are there any academic or independent analyses of the FBI's 2000-2013 active shooter data that discuss the presence or absence of informant contact information?

EVIDENCE — CAPTURED SOURCES

[WEB] https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf [archived]
A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013 September 16, 2013 Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
[WEB] https://www.facebook.com/bloombergbusiness/posts/more-than-half-of-mass-shooters-display-clear-warning-signs-before-committing-th/444333934219372/
Food for thought. In the military we had a background check from enlistment, we trained on gun safety, and had to qualify on whatever we would be issued....
[WEB] https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/124428/978-952-03-1814-7.pdf?sequence=2 [archived]
Terrorism research has focused more on the perpetrators' radicalization process, which in the school shooting context is not really discussed at all. In the ...
[WEB] https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/reports-and-publications/active-shooter-study-2000-2013-1.pdf/view
In 2014 the FBI initiated a study of "active shooter" incidents to provide federal, state, and local law enforcement with data so they can better understand how to prevent, prepare for ...
[WEB] https://scispace.com/pdf/the-different-components-of-active-shooter-incidents-428kjwahk7.pdf
That is, a direct relationship was not identified between active shooter offenders and their crime scene actions. The study therefore highlighted the complex ...
[WEB] https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594362.pdf
To provide further clarity on these threats, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2014 initiated a study of "active shooter" incidents2. The goal of the FBI study is to provide federal, state, and local law enforcement with data so they can better understand how to preven…
[WEB] https://www.ovid.com/journals/jotham/fulltext/10.1037/tam0000205~assessing-leakage-based-mass-shooting-prevention-a
This study compares foiled and completed mass shootings involving leakage (2000–2019) to determine the factors associated with leakage, modes of...
[WEB] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267695273_A_Study_of_Active_Shooter_Incidents_in_the_United_States_Between_2000_and_2013
PDF | On Sep 1, 2014, J. P. Blair and others published A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013 | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6x7mnu/i_am_former_fbi_special_agent_marc_ruskin_with_20/
31 Aug 2017 · One of the big plot points in UC stories is when the criminals test the agent by having him commit a criminal act in front of them. Does that ...
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/2hvk9w/fbi_active_shooter_study_200013_pdf_warning/ [archived]
Unlike a defined crime, such as murder or mass killing, the active aspect inherently implies that both law enforcement personnel and citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based on their responses. As a result, the FBI identified 160 active shooter inciden…
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/ [archived]
There have been rumors of a serial killer in the area. But that is par for the course in New Mexico. No proof of that has been seen in that area. But we do not ...
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/GunsAreCool/comments/815mvy/the_fbi_analyzed_160_cases_of_active_shooters/ [archived]
The FBI analyzed 160 cases of active shooters over the period from 2000-2013, and not one was stopped by a concealed carry permit holder who was not active duty military, a security guard, or a police officer. 21 were stopped by unarmed civilians.
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1g7c5b3/cmv_black_lives_matter_has_been_a_failure/ [archived]
19 Oct 2024 · Videos of police brutality, especially against African Americans, became viral, and millions became outraged that this was so common in America.
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/masskillers/comments/nsjzue/a_summary_produced_by_the_fbi_detailing/ [archived]
A summary produced by the FBI detailing statistics regarding active shooter incidents from 2000-2019 Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1lyo4fr/cmv_epstein_files_scare_trump_for_reasons_other/ [archived]
13 Jul 2025 · Physical evidence exists and is not being investigated. For example, normal people have their cell phone seized so their location data can be ...
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/GunResearch/comments/4cla3i/a_study_of_active_shooter_incidents_in_the_united/
A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, FBI, (September 16, 2013)

CROSS-REFERENCE

→ PARALLEL-PATTERN FBI Informants in Targeted Organizations: Intelligence Collection vs. Incitement to Illegal Activity — This dossier investigates the use of FBI informants, a general topic relevant to the specific question of whether informant contact data was collected in the active shooter study.
→ SHARES-ACTOR COINTELPRO: FBI Counterintelligence Program Against Domestic Groups (1956–1971) — Both dossiers involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and their intelligence gathering practices.