Mass killings in U.S. fall to nearly two-decade low: database
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Mass killings in the U.S. so far this year have dropped to their lowest level since researchers began tracking mass homicides in 2006.
The big picture: This decline tracks with a broader cooling of violent crime across the U.S. following pandemic-era spikes, though criminologists suggest the drop may simply mark a return to historic averages.
- Experts also note mass-killing numbers can swing sharply year to year because the totals are small.
The fine print: The database—maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University—counts incidents where four or more people are intentionally killed in a 24-hour period, not including the killer.
Driving the news: Mass killings fell by more than half compared to this point last year, the third year in a row the number fell.
- A recent shooting at a child's birthday party in California that killed three children and one adult brought the number of mass killings so far in 2025 to 17, according to the database.
- So far, 2025 has seen the lowest number of such tragedies since 2006, the first year of available data in the database.
- The highest number, 46, was recorded in 2019.
Zoom out: The Gun Violence Archive, a separate database that uses a broader definition to include shootings where victims survived, similarly recorded a drop in both mass shootings and mass murders so far in 2025.
- The archive tracked 381 mass shootings so far in 2025, with the most recent an incident that injured four men in St. Paul on Monday.
- Last year, the archive tracked 503 mass shootings — down from 659 in 2023.
Worth noting: The AP–USA Today mass killing database found that most mass killings in the U.S. involve guns.
- This year, 14 of the 17 incidents involved firearms, and of the 629 total mass killings since 2006 in the database, 79% involved firearms.
One stunning stat: While news coverage often centers around mass killings in public, the database shows that around 67% happen in and around people's homes.
Catch up quick: Violent crimes rates in major cities across the country have been on the decline after a COVID-era spike.
- But the shadow of gun violence is pervasive in the U.S., where around 1 in 15 adults has been on the scene at a mass shooting, according to a study reviewed by Axios' Alayna Alvarez.
The bottom line: While mass killings fell this year to date, that statistic alone does not necessarily fully capture grim reality of gun violence in the U.S.
- For example, the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting earlier this year that killed two children does not fit the definition of a mass killing and is therefore not counted on the database.
- But there has been progress on initiatives targeting gun violence, such as those driven by a 2022 bipartisan gun safety bill signed into law by former President Biden.
Go deeper: Minneapolis mass shooting prompts calls for assault weapons ban, early intervention
