By Noor Zainab Hussain and Carolyn Cohn
(Reuters) – The cost of buying insurance protection against mass shootings has spiked more than 10% in the United States this year following a string of deadly events, insurers said.
The United States witnessed 293 mass shootings so far this year, according to a report by the Gun Violence Archive them as any event involving the shooting of four or more people other than the assailant. That compares with 309 the same period last year, but is sharply up from 240 in 2020.
Demand for such insurance has risen following recent shootings, including the murder of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school last month, the United States’ worst school shooting in nearly a decade.
Active shooter insurance typically covers victim lawsuits, building repairs, legal fees, medical expenses and trauma counseling.
“The number of inquiries we’ve been receiving over the last few weeks have definitely spiked … we haven’t been as busy as this ever before,” said Chris Parker, Head of Political Violence and Deadly Weapons Protection at Lloyd’s of London insurer Beazley.
Parker said the insurer had seen a 25% jump in revenue so far this year for its