INTRODUCTION
This page is about mass killings. At the moment, the information just looks at mass killings in USA but information about mass killings around the world will soon be added.
Charts
1. Mass Killings in USA by Region 2006 – 2017
2. Type of Mass Killing in USA 2006 – 2017 by Region
3. Mass Killings in USA 2006 – 2017 by Method
4. Type of Mass Killing in USA 2006 – 2017 by Method
5. States with Most Mass Killings and Distribution of Type 2006-2017
6. Rate of Mass Killings Per Million in 10 Most Populated States 2006-2017
7. Number of School Massacres with 5 or More Victims since 2000
8. Number of Massacres in USA with 20 or More Victims by Period and Type
Data Table
9. Number of Victims, Region, Place, State, Method and Type for Mass Killings in USA 2006-2017
This chart shows the regional distribution of mass killings in the United States between 2006 and 2017. The South accounts for the largest share, with 39.3% of incidents, followed by the Midwest at 26% and the West at 23.5%. The Northeast accounts for only 11.1% of mass killings during this period.
Population size explains some of the differences between regions, particularly the South’s larger share since it is the most populous region of the country. However, the Northeast’s proportion is notable because it is significantly lower than its share of the U.S. population. The Northeast contains roughly 17–18% of the national population, yet it accounts for just over 11% of mass killings, suggesting that the region has a lower rate of such incidents even after adjusting for population size.
Several factors may contribute to this difference. The Northeast generally has lower overall homicide rates, stricter gun regulations, and higher levels of urban policing and population density, which may influence patterns of violent crime. By contrast, regions such as the South and parts of the Midwest have historically experienced higher levels of violent crime, which is reflected in their larger share of mass killing incidents.
Overall, the chart suggests that regional differences in violence and crime patterns are significant, and that the Northeast stands out as having substantially fewer mass killings relative to its population.
This chart breaks down the types of mass killings in the United States between 2006 and 2017 by region. The Southern region has by far the largest number of incidents, accounting for roughly 39% of all mass killings during the period. The South leads by an especially large margin in family-related mass killings, with about 46% of such incidents occurring there. This pattern likely reflects several broader social factors, including the relatively high rates of gun ownership in the South and the region’s historically noted “honour culture,” which some researchers associate with higher levels of interpersonal violence in response to disputes.
One of the most notorious examples of a mass family killing occurred in Arkansas in 1987, when Ronald Gene Simmons murdered 14 members of his family, in addition to two other victims. Although this event predates the time period covered in the chart, it remains one of the most extreme cases of family mass murder in U.S. history.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Northeast has by far the lowest number of mass killings, representing only 11% of the national total. This aligns with broader crime patterns, as the Northeast also has the lowest rates of gun ownership and among the lowest homicide rates in the country.
The Western region stands out for having the largest number of public mass killings. Several of the most widely known mass shootings in the United States have occurred in this region, including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting in Nevada, in which 58 people were killed, making it the deadliest mass shooting by a single perpetrator in U.S. history.
Finally, the Midwest has the largest number of mass killings connected to robbery or burglary. This may be related to patterns of violent crime concentrated in certain large cities within the region. Cities such as Detroit and St. Louis, both located in the Midwest, have frequently ranked among the U.S. cities with the highest violent crime rates, which may contribute to the higher number of mass killings associated with criminal activity such as robbery.
The view from the Foundation Room.
Photo by Jennifer Morrow
Licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Las Vegas shooting in 2017 was the largest mass shooting by a single individual in US history.
This chart shows the distribution of mass killings in the United States between 2006 and 2017 by type of incident. The largest category by a substantial margin is family-related mass killings, which account for 63.4% of all cases. These incidents typically occur within households or among relatives and often involve domestic disputes, relationship breakdowns, or other personal conflicts that escalate into violence.
The second largest category is public mass killings, which make up 23.3% of the total. These are the events that tend to receive the most media attention because they occur in public places such as schools, workplaces, shopping centers, or entertainment venues and often involve victims who have no personal relationship with the perpetrator.
The remaining 13.4% of cases are connected to robberies or burglaries, where multiple victims are killed during the commission of another crime. These incidents tend to occur during armed robberies or home invasions that escalate into lethal violence.
Overall, the chart highlights an important contrast between public perception and statistical reality. While public mass killings often dominate news coverage and public debate, the majority of mass killings in the United States actually occur within families or domestic environments rather than in public spaces.
The chart shows the methods used in mass killings in the United States between 2006 and 2017, broken down by type of incident. In every category, shooting is by far the most common method, but the dominance of firearms is especially pronounced in mass public killings. These attacks frequently involve multiple victims in a short time frame, and firearms allow perpetrators to inflict large numbers of casualties quickly.
In many high-profile public mass killings, the weapons used are often semi-automatic rifles such as AR-15–type weapons, which can fire rapidly and use large-capacity magazines. A well-known example is the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, where investigators found 24 firearms in the perpetrator’s hotel room, including 14 AR-15–style rifles.
After shootings, stabbings are the second most common method overall in mass killings. However, in mass public killings, the second most common cause of death is often fire, typically resulting in smoke inhalation or burns during arson attacks.
The chart also highlights that family-related mass killings are the most common overall category, and these too overwhelmingly involve firearms, though other methods appear more frequently in domestic incidents than in public attacks.
The chart shows the U.S. states with the highest number of mass killings between 2006 and 2017, along with the distribution of different types of incidents. One of the clearest patterns is that family-related mass killings are the most common category in nearly every state. These incidents typically involve domestic violence situations where multiple family members are killed in a single event. This pattern highlights that many mass killings occur in private settings rather than the public attacks that tend to receive the most media attention.
Large states such as California, Texas, Illinois, and Florida appear prominently on the chart, which is not surprising given their large populations. California stands out with the highest number overall, and it also shows relatively high numbers of public mass killings and incidents classified as other or unknown.
Public attacks—the type most often discussed in national debates about mass violence—are present but generally less frequent than domestic or family-related incidents. Robbery or burglary-related mass killings appear to be the least common category across most states.
Overall, the chart suggests that while public mass shootings attract the most attention, domestic violence-related massacres form a significant share of mass killing incidents in the United States.
The chart shows the rate of mass killings per million people in the ten most populous U.S. states between 2006 and 2017. Illinois appears at the top with the highest rate, followed by Ohio and Georgia. Several other large states—Florida, Michigan, Texas, California, and New York—cluster around a similar level, suggesting that the risk of such events is relatively spread across different parts of the country rather than being concentrated in just one region.
Illinois’ position at the top may partly reflect the influence of Chicago, one of the largest cities in the United States and a place that has experienced high levels of violent crime. However, many incidents associated with mass killings in urban areas do not necessarily involve legally registered firearms, and urban violence can skew statistics for entire states.
Interestingly, some of the largest states by population—such as California and New York—do not appear especially high on the list despite their size. This highlights the importance of looking at per capita rates, since total numbers alone can give a misleading impression when comparing states with very different populations.
The chart shows the number of school massacres with five or more victims since 2000, broken down by country. The United States stands clearly at the top, with significantly more incidents than any other country. This reflects the well-documented pattern of mass school shootings in the U.S., where access to firearms and the cultural visibility of previous attacks may both play roles in the frequency of such events.
China ranks second on the list, although the nature of the attacks there has often been different. Many Chinese school massacres have involved knife attacks rather than firearms, reflecting the country’s strict gun control laws. Russia also appears relatively high, with several major school attacks in recent decades.
Some countries on the list—such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, and Nigeria—have experienced school massacres linked to terrorism or insurgency, where schools were targeted as part of wider political or ideological conflicts rather than individual mass attacks.
A number of developed countries, including Finland, Germany, and Japan, also appear, though with far fewer incidents. Overall, the chart highlights that while school massacres occur in many parts of the world, the patterns and causes behind them can vary significantly between countries.
The chart shows the number of massacres in the United States with 20 or more victims by time period and type, excluding massacres of Native Americans. One clear pattern is that the nineteenth century saw the largest number of such massacres, particularly between 1850 and 1899. Many of these were linked to racial violence and conflict, especially anti-Black massacres in the aftermath of slavery and during Reconstruction. This period also saw violence connected to anti-Chinese sentiment and anti-Catholic nativism, reflecting the intense ethnic and religious tensions of the era.
The late nineteenth century also includes several massacres connected to war or armed conflict, reflecting the instability of the Civil War period and other violent confrontations.
In the early twentieth century (1900–1949), the number of incidents declines somewhat, but several large massacres still occurred, including those related to racial violence and labor disputes, which were particularly intense during periods of industrial conflict.
From 1950 to 1999, the pattern shifts again. Some massacres involved government action or anti-government violence, reflecting political tensions during the Cold War era.
Finally, in the twenty-first century, the chart shows a rise in massacres categorized as public mass killings, indicating a shift toward incidents carried out by individuals targeting the general public rather than events tied to organized racial conflict, war, or labor disputes.