Mass killings in the United States have dropped this year to their lowest level since researchers began tracking such crimes in 2006.
According to Axios, the decline aligns with a broader slowdown in violent crime across the country following the pandemic-era surge, though criminologists note that the decrease may simply reflect a return to historic averages.
Experts also point out that mass-killing numbers can fluctuate widely from year to year because the total number of incidents remains small.
According to the database—run jointly by the Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University—mass killings are defined as incidents in which four or more people are intentionally killed within a 24-hour period, not counting the perpetrator.
Mass killings have fallen by more than half compared to the same period last year, marking the third consecutive year of decline.
2025 Statistics
A recent shooting at a child’s birthday party in California, which killed three children and one adult, brought the total number of mass killings in 2025 to 17, according to the database.
So far, 2025 has seen the lowest number of such tragedies since 2006, the first year in which the database provides data. The highest number ever recorded was 46 incidents in 2019.
Gun Violence Archive
Likewise, the Gun Violence Archive—a separate database using a broader definition that includes shooting incidents with surviving victims—has documented declines in both mass shootings and mass killings in 2025.
The archive has tracked 381 mass-shooting incidents so far this year, the most recent involving four men injured in St. Paul on Monday.
Last year, the archive recorded 503 mass shootings, down from 659 in 2023.
The AP–USA Today mass-killing database found that most mass killings in the United States involve firearms.
This year, 14 out of 17 incidents involved guns. Of the 629 total mass killings recorded since 2006, 79% involved firearms.
Striking Statistics
Although news coverage often focuses on public mass killings, the database shows that about 67% of these incidents occur in or around private homes.
Violent-crime rates in major cities have fallen nationwide following their pandemic-era spike.
Yet gun violence continues to cast a shadow over American life: roughly one in every 15 adults has been present at the scene of a mass-shooting incident, according to a study reviewed by Axios journalist Alina Alvarez.
Bottom Line
While mass killings have declined so far this year, this statistic alone does not fully reflect the grim reality of gun violence in the United States.
For example, a shooting earlier this year at the Church of the Annunciation—which killed two children—does not meet the definition of a mass killing and therefore is not counted in the database.
However, there has been progress through initiatives addressing gun violence, including programs supported by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, signed by former President Biden.