Summary
Mass killings in the United States have decreased in 2025 to the lowest number since 2006. Experts suggest this decline might be a return to average levels rather than a long-term trend. Improvements in crime response and a decrease in overall violent crime rates may also contribute to these numbers.
Key Facts
- In 2025, the U.S. recorded 17 mass killings, the lowest since 2006.
- Mass killings are defined as events where four or more people are killed, not including the perpetrator.
- The decrease marks about a 24% reduction compared to 2024, which itself saw a 20% drop from 2023.
- James Alan Fox, a criminologist, explains this drop as a likely "regression to the mean," or a return to average levels.
- Mass killings typically show variation because they are relatively rare, according to experts.
- Possible reasons for the decline include better immediate response to shootings and a decrease in overall violent crime since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Since 2006, 3,234 people have died in mass killings in the U.S., with firearms involved in 82% of cases this year.
- No school-based mass killings were recorded in 2025, and only one occurred in 2024.
