How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 45 severe cases involving shootings by other persons. The vast majority of these incidents, 93 percent, result in gunshot wounds that require immediate and intensive medical intervention.
These events are uniquely dangerous, often leading to life-altering trauma. The severity of these injuries frequently results in prolonged hospitalization and complex recovery processes for you.
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Workplace shootings often stem from failures in security protocols when dealing with criminal assailants or volatile individuals. In 31 percent of reported cases, the source of the injury is an external criminal actor, while in other instances, coworkers or clients escalate verbal disputes into physical violence. These incidents frequently occur in parking lots, during repossession tasks, or while you are performing one-on-one patient watches without adequate security support.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunshot wounds | 42 |
| 2 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 1 |
| 3 | Spinal cord injuries, paralysis | 1 |
| 4 | Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Retail trade accounts for 44 percent of these severe incidents, largely due to the high volume of public interaction and the inherent risks of handling cash or high-value goods. Employers in this sector have a specific duty to implement security measures that protect you from foreseeable criminal threats, yet many fail to provide the necessary barriers or training to prevent these violent encounters.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you being targeted during routine tasks like vehicle repossession, patient monitoring, or managing site security. Many incidents involve sudden escalations where you are caught in the crossfire of a struggle or targeted by an unknown individual on the premises. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | OH | Health Care | "The injured employee was performing a one-on-one watch of a patient who had been brought to the emergency room. The patient became agitated while in the patient room. Security personnel provided assistance to de-escalate the patient s behavior. The patient lunged for a security guard s handgun and a struggle ensued between the patient and two security guards. The patient was able to place his hand on the weapon and it fired while still inside its holster. The injured employee was struck in the abdomen by a bullet while standing at the door opening. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee had been managing the site when an unknown individual came onto the site and shot them with a gun. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "At 4:30 a.m. on June 20, 2025, an employee suffered a gunshot wound during a verbal altercation in a parking lot. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MS | Professional Services | "An employee was towing away a vehicle for reposession. When the vehicle was on a lift, he was held at gunpoint and then shot. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "Two employees got into a physical altercation in the parking lot and one employee was shot. The injured employee was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to their lower extremity." | |
| 2025 | IL | Health Care | "An employee was called to the emergency department to assist with de-escalating a patient. During the incident, the patient pulled a firearm out of their bag and began shooting. The employee was shot in the torso. They were hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | LA | Other Services | "An employee and two volunteers were constructing a fence at a jobsite when they were victims of an armed robbery. The employee suffered bullet wounds to the his right forearm, left little and ring fingers, lower abdomen, chest, neck, and cheek, resulting in hospitalization and multiple surgeries. One of the volunteers also suffered gunshot injuries and was treated and released." | |
| 2025 | NY | Retail Trade | "An employee was on break in her car in the parking lot when an individual came out of a nearby store and began yelling at her. The employee was shot by this person three times in her torso/chest. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Retail Trade | "Two employees were working in the pharmacy when a customer discharged a firearm after a dispute. One employee was shot in the foot and was not hospitalized. The other employee was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | FL | Retail Trade | "An employee was breaking up a fight on the bar side of the liquor store. The individual being assaulted pulled a gun and shot another customer several times. Bullets went through the employee's hands. The employee sustained severe injuries to both hands requiring surgery." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.