5 Deadliest Mass Shootings In U.S. History
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded Florida nightclub early Sunday before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. The attack left at least 50 people dead, making it the worst mass shooting in American history.
Here is a breakdown of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history
Orlando Nightclub Shooting
Total Killed: 50
At least 53 other people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said.
Virginia Tech Shooting
Total Killed: 32
On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech senior Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 and left 17 wounded in several attacks on Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Cho committed suicide following the shooting. Six other students were injured fleeing the scene by jumping out classroom windows. The incident was considered the deadliest shooting in the United States before Sunday's massacre in Orlando.
Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre
Total Killed: 27
Using a Bushmaster rifle, Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed 20 first-graders and six educators at school in Newtown, Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012. Lanza killed his mother before the school shooting and killed himself afterward.
Luby's Shooting -- Killeen, Texas
Total Killed: 24
On October 16, 1991, George Hennard fatally shot 23 people and wounded 27 others after crashing his pick-up truck into Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas. After a stand-off with police, Hennard committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
University of Texas Shooting
Total Killed: 18
On Aug. 1, 1966, ex-Marine Charles Whitman shot 46 people -- 14 fatally -- while standing on top of an observatory tower at the University of Texas campus. Whitman had killed his wife and mother in their homes before bringing a stockpile of guns to the campus. Whitman had said he was suffering from mental illness before the incident. An autopsy upon his death showed he had a brain tumor.
