COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio joins California, Texas, Florida and Illinois on the top five list for most gun incidents seen in about a decade at schools, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database.

As of April 29, the U.S. has seen 111 shooting incidents in 2024 at schools. Four have taken place in the Buckeye state. An incident is defined as an instance when a gun is fired with the intent to shoot or when a bullet hits school property.

According to the database, most of these incidents are taking place in high schools, and out of the 300 most recent shooting events, the majority have been a result of an escalation of a dispute. 

School safety experts such as Ken Trump work with principals and school counselors all of the time. He said those discussions have indicated a mix of increased anxiety and accessibility to firearms that could contribute to the problem. 

“Kids are under an enormous amount of pressure,” said Trump, who serves as a school safety expert and hosts trainings and courses for schools across the country. “You know, kids’ families are under an enormous amount of economic and social pressures at home in the community and kids are under those pressures and sharing those as well.

"The social, emotional and mental health stress that kids experience come into the schools. That leads to increased verbal and physical aggression, which can lead to fighting and, in some cases, the possession and use of weapons.”

To combat the issue, districts around the state have taken different approaches. The Bedford City School District issued a district-wide clear backpack policy last year.

Additionally, Rocky River School District recently participated in the Sandy Hook Promise’s “Say Something Week.” This is a nationwide program that includes student and educator training guides and lesson plans around gun violence.