Overview

• Since 2006, the US has experienced 450 mass killings, where four or more people (excluding the perpetrator) were killed. These incidents have happened annually on average 24 times, resulting in a total death toll of 2,411 individuals.
• The majority of these mass killings (58%) involved victims who were familiar to the shooter, often taking place in homes and involving people they knew, loved, or were formerly relatives or acquaintances.
• Despite public mass killings receiving the most media attention, they represent only a small proportion of the total, with 28% confirmed to involve strangers to the shooter. Many mass killings happen unnoticed outside of their immediate communities.
• Mass killers are predominantly male, with a median age of 31. The racial profile of the killers is diverse, but predominantly White (38%) or Black (29%), followed by Hispanic/Latino (12%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5%) and Native American (1%).
• In terms of consequences for the shooters, 36% died at the scene, with 78% of these being suicides. Of those who survived, 63% were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 9% were sentenced to death.