A Real Mass Shooting: A State by State Analysis Reveals Black People are Killed by Police at Higher Rates than Any Other Group in 45 States. In What States Are You Most Likely to be Killed by Cops?

From [HERE] On average more than 1,000 people are fatally shot by police each year, according to data collected by the Washington Post.

In 2022, the number of people shot and killed by police—1,096—reached a record high, as confidence in police reached a 30-year low. Fewer than half of all Americans reported having confidence in the police, according to a Gallup poll, the lowest level since 2020 in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Put another way, the majority of Americans have little or no confidence in law enforcement.

Stacker cited data from the Washington Post’s fatal police shootings database to look at the rate of fatal police shootings across every state and Washington D.C. in the U.S. since 2015. Rates are calculated using 2020 Census population data. If no demographic has at least five incidents, rates by demographic are not included.

The data presents troubling trends indicative of systemic issues throughout the institution of law enforcement nationwide. Despite representing just 12% of the U.S. population, Black people are killed by police at higher rates than any other racial group in 45 states. In four out of the remaining five states, police shot and killed Native Americans at the highest rate. Only in New Hampshire did white people represent the largest share of people killed by police.

One out of every five victims identified by the Washington Post had a history of mental illness or was experiencing mental distress when they were shot. 

One of the most troubling trends is a lack of institutional accountability. As fatal police shootings have increased, fewer of these incidents are reported to the federal government. The Washington Post found that only one-third of the fatal police shootings included in its database were also present among FBI data.

While all agencies are asked to report these incidents, compliance to report homicides through the Uniform Crime Reporting System—including officer-involved shootings—is mandatory only for federal law enforcement. Negligence, clerical errors, miscommunication, and willful noncompliance are just some of the reasons for discrepancies.

Each state is ranked [here]