100+ datasets found
  1. d

    Mass Killings in America, 2006 - present

    • data.world
    csv, zip
    Updated Oct 25, 2025
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    The Associated Press (2025). Mass Killings in America, 2006 - present [Dataset]. https://data.world/associatedpress/mass-killings-public
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    zip, csvAvailable download formats
    Dataset updated
    Oct 25, 2025
    Authors
    The Associated Press
    Time period covered
    Jan 1, 2006 - Oct 12, 2025
    Area covered
    Description

    THIS DATASET WAS LAST UPDATED AT 8:11 AM EASTERN ON OCT. 25

    OVERVIEW

    2019 had the most mass killings since at least the 1970s, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings Database.

    In all, there were 45 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator. Of those, 33 were mass shootings . This summer was especially violent, with three high-profile public mass shootings occurring in the span of just four weeks, leaving 38 killed and 66 injured.

    A total of 229 people died in mass killings in 2019.

    The AP's analysis found that more than 50% of the incidents were family annihilations, which is similar to prior years. Although they are far less common, the 9 public mass shootings during the year were the most deadly type of mass murder, resulting in 73 people's deaths, not including the assailants.

    One-third of the offenders died at the scene of the killing or soon after, half from suicides.

    About this Dataset

    The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database tracks all U.S. homicides since 2006 involving four or more people killed (not including the offender) over a short period of time (24 hours) regardless of weapon, location, victim-offender relationship or motive. The database includes information on these and other characteristics concerning the incidents, offenders, and victims.

    The AP/USA TODAY/Northeastern database represents the most complete tracking of mass murders by the above definition currently available. Other efforts, such as the Gun Violence Archive or Everytown for Gun Safety may include events that do not meet our criteria, but a review of these sites and others indicates that this database contains every event that matches the definition, including some not tracked by other organizations.

    This data will be updated periodically and can be used as an ongoing resource to help cover these events.

    Using this Dataset

    To get basic counts of incidents of mass killings and mass shootings by year nationwide, use these queries:

    Mass killings by year

    Mass shootings by year

    To get these counts just for your state:

    Filter killings by state

    Definition of "mass murder"

    Mass murder is defined as the intentional killing of four or more victims by any means within a 24-hour period, excluding the deaths of unborn children and the offender(s). The standard of four or more dead was initially set by the FBI.

    This definition does not exclude cases based on method (e.g., shootings only), type or motivation (e.g., public only), victim-offender relationship (e.g., strangers only), or number of locations (e.g., one). The time frame of 24 hours was chosen to eliminate conflation with spree killers, who kill multiple victims in quick succession in different locations or incidents, and to satisfy the traditional requirement of occurring in a “single incident.”

    Offenders who commit mass murder during a spree (before or after committing additional homicides) are included in the database, and all victims within seven days of the mass murder are included in the victim count. Negligent homicides related to driving under the influence or accidental fires are excluded due to the lack of offender intent. Only incidents occurring within the 50 states and Washington D.C. are considered.

    Methodology

    Project researchers first identified potential incidents using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR). Homicide incidents in the SHR were flagged as potential mass murder cases if four or more victims were reported on the same record, and the type of death was murder or non-negligent manslaughter.

    Cases were subsequently verified utilizing media accounts, court documents, academic journal articles, books, and local law enforcement records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Each data point was corroborated by multiple sources, which were compiled into a single document to assess the quality of information.

    In case(s) of contradiction among sources, official law enforcement or court records were used, when available, followed by the most recent media or academic source.

    Case information was subsequently compared with every other known mass murder database to ensure reliability and validity. Incidents listed in the SHR that could not be independently verified were excluded from the database.

    Project researchers also conducted extensive searches for incidents not reported in the SHR during the time period, utilizing internet search engines, Lexis-Nexis, and Newspapers.com. Search terms include: [number] dead, [number] killed, [number] slain, [number] murdered, [number] homicide, mass murder, mass shooting, massacre, rampage, family killing, familicide, and arson murder. Offender, victim, and location names were also directly searched when available.

    This project started at USA TODAY in 2012.

    Contacts

    Contact AP Data Editor Justin Myers with questions, suggestions or comments about this dataset at jmyers@ap.org. The Northeastern University researcher working with AP and USA TODAY is Professor James Alan Fox, who can be reached at j.fox@northeastern.edu or 617-416-4400.

  2. d

    NYPD Shooting Incident Data (Year To Date)

    • catalog.data.gov
    • data.cityofnewyork.us
    • +3more
    Updated Jul 19, 2025
    + more versions
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    data.cityofnewyork.us (2025). NYPD Shooting Incident Data (Year To Date) [Dataset]. https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/nypd-shooting-incident-data-year-to-date
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    Dataset updated
    Jul 19, 2025
    Dataset provided by
    data.cityofnewyork.us
    Description

    List of every shooting incident that occurred in NYC during the current calendar year. This is a breakdown of every shooting incident that occurred in NYC during the current calendar year. This data is manually extracted every quarter and reviewed by the Office of Management Analysis and Planning before being posted on the NYPD website. Each record represents a shooting incident in NYC and includes information about the event, the location and time of occurrence. In addition, information related to suspect and victim demographics is also included. This data can be used by the public to explore the nature of police enforcement activity. Please refer to the attached data footnotes for additional information about this dataset.

  3. Number of homicides by firearm in the U.S. 2006-2023

    • statista.com
    Updated Nov 12, 2024
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    Statista (2024). Number of homicides by firearm in the U.S. 2006-2023 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/249803/number-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/
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    Dataset updated
    Nov 12, 2024
    Dataset authored and provided by
    Statistahttp://statista.com/
    Area covered
    United States
    Description

    In 2023, 13,529 recorded murders in the United States were committed by firearm. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 12,244 homicides were committed with a firearm in the country. However, figures may not accurately reflect the total number of homicides, as not all law enforcement agencies in the U.S. submitted homicide data.

  4. Number and percentage of homicide victims, by type of firearm used to commit...

    • www150.statcan.gc.ca
    • data.urbandatacentre.ca
    • +3more
    Updated Jul 22, 2019
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    Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019). Number and percentage of homicide victims, by type of firearm used to commit the homicide, inactive [Dataset]. http://doi.org/10.25318/3510007201-eng
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    Dataset updated
    Jul 22, 2019
    Dataset provided by
    Statistics Canadahttps://statcan.gc.ca/en
    Area covered
    Canada
    Description

    Number and percentage of homicide victims, by type of firearm used to commit the homicide (total firearms; handgun; rifle or shotgun; fully automatic firearm; sawed-off rifle or shotgun; firearm-like weapons; other firearms, type unknown), Canada, 1974 to 2018.

  5. g

    City-Data, Largest and Smallest Difference Between High and Low...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 27, 2008
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    data (2008). City-Data, Largest and Smallest Difference Between High and Low Temperatures, USA, [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 27, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    City-Data
    data
    Description

    This dataset illustrates the largest difference between high and low temperatures and the smallest difference between high and low temperatures in cities with 50,000 people or more. A value of -1 means that the data was not applicable. Also included are the rankings, the inverse ranking to be used for mapping purposes, the popualtion, the name of city and state, and the temperature degree difference. Source City-Data URL http//www.city-data.com/top2/c489.html http//www.city-data.com/top2/c490.html Date Accessed November 13,2007

  6. Number of homicide victims, by method used to commit the homicide

    • www150.statcan.gc.ca
    • canwin-datahub.ad.umanitoba.ca
    • +1more
    Updated Jul 22, 2025
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    Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2025). Number of homicide victims, by method used to commit the homicide [Dataset]. http://doi.org/10.25318/3510006901-eng
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    Dataset updated
    Jul 22, 2025
    Dataset provided by
    Statistics Canadahttps://statcan.gc.ca/en
    Area covered
    Canada
    Description

    Number of homicide victims, by method used to commit the homicide (total methods used; shooting; stabbing; beating; strangulation; fire (burns or suffocation); other methods used; methods used unknown), Canada, 1974 to 2024.

  7. g

    Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR), Hazardous Waste...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 13, 2008
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    data (2008). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR), Hazardous Waste Sites, USA and Territories, 5.08 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 13, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR)
    data
    Description

    This dataset displays all the hazardous waste sites in the United States and it's Territories as of 5.08. The data comes from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR). The dataset contains information about the site: Site ID Site Name CERCLIS # Address City State County Latitude Longitude Population Region # Congressional Districts Federal Facility National Priorities List Status Ownership Status Classification For more information go to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR)website at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov

  8. g

    Census, Demographic Data For Manhattan, New York City

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Jun 4, 2008
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    Census (2008). Census, Demographic Data For Manhattan, New York City [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Jun 4, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Census
    data
    Description

    This dataset provides highly detailed (Block Level) views of various demographics for Manhattan, New York city. this dataset includes information on age, race, sex, income, housing, and various other attributes. This data comes from the 2000 Us Census and was joined to the Census Tiger line files to create the output. enjoy!

  9. g

    Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 6, 2008
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    Emily Sciarillo (2008). Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics Reports: Births, USA, 2005 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 6, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
    data
    Authors
    Emily Sciarillo
    Description

    This dataset was created from the CDC's National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 56, Number 6. The dataset includes all data available from this report by state level and includes births by race and Hispanic origin, births to unmarried women, rates of cesarean delivery, and twin and multiple birth rates. The data are final for 2005. No value is represented by a -1. "Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 4.1 million births that occurred in 2005 are presented. Denominators for population-based rates are postcensal estimates derived from the U.S. 2000 census".

  10. g

    New York City Newsstand data with Fake Sales numbers

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Jun 5, 2008
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    Bill Greer (2008). New York City Newsstand data with Fake Sales numbers [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Jun 5, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Fake Data, no source
    data
    Authors
    Bill Greer
    Description

    This dataset shows actual locations of newsstands throughout New York City, with actual contact information, however I've added a few columns of fake data representing sales of magazines at that newsstand. the numbers are randomly generated, and fake.

  11. g

    Department of Justice ATF, Firearms Trace Data by State of Recovery, USA by...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Jun 3, 2008
    + more versions
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    Emily Sciarillo (2008). Department of Justice ATF, Firearms Trace Data by State of Recovery, USA by State, 2007 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Jun 3, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    emily
    Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
    Authors
    Emily Sciarillo
    Description

    This dataset was compiled from the ATF 2007 report on firearms trace data. The numbers provided represent the top 15 source states of firearms for each state. The number and percentage of out of state guns are also calculated.

  12. g

    Association of Religious Data Archives, Total and Mainline Religions, USA,...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Apr 29, 2008
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    Association of Religious Data Archives (2008). Association of Religious Data Archives, Total and Mainline Religions, USA, 2007 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Apr 29, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Association of Religious Data Archives
    data
    Description

    This dataset was found online at the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA) website. http://www.thearda.com/ . This data set shows information on religous groups throughout the United States. All data was uploaded as a polypoint centroids per county in the United States, in shapefile format. This Data set shows the Total congregations, Total Adherents, and Rate of Adherence per 1000 population for All religions in the United States and for the Mainline Religions.

  13. g

    US Dept of Justice; Office of Justice Programs, Total Operating Costs of...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 29, 2008
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    data (2008). US Dept of Justice; Office of Justice Programs, Total Operating Costs of State Inmate and per US Resident, USA, 2001 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 29, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    U.S. Department of Justice; Office of Justice Programs
    data
    Description

    This dataset shows the total amount of expenditures and operating costs that states spent on inmates in the fiscal year of 2001. Correctional authorities spent $38.2 billion to maintain the Nation's State correctional systems in fiscal year 2001, including $29.5 billion specifically for adult correctional facilities. Day-today operating expenses totaled $28.4 billion, and capital outlays for land, new building, and renovations, $1.1 billion. The average annual operating cost per State inmate in 2001 was $22,650, or $62.05 per day. Among facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it was $22,632 per inmate, or $62.01 per day. In a followup to a study based on FY 1996 data, this report presents unique statistics on the cost of operating State prisons in FY 2001. Information was obtained by extracting corrections data from each State's responses to the U.S. Census Bureau's annual Survey of Government Finances. Item categories were standardized across jurisdictions, and reported figures were verified with State budget officials. For more information please see source url.

  14. g

    U.S. Census, Vital Statistics and Ratio of Births to Deaths by Metro Area,...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 19, 2008
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    laurie (2008). U.S. Census, Vital Statistics and Ratio of Births to Deaths by Metro Area, USA, 2000-2006 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 19, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    U.S. Census
    laurie
    Description

    This dataset includes births, deaths and the ratio of births to deaths by metropolitan area for the years 2000-2006. The actual births and deaths for 2000 and estimates were taken from the U.S. Census Components of Population Change. Ratios were calculated based on that data.

  15. g

    Wikipedia, US Olympic Gold Medals Per State, USA,

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Jun 2, 2008
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    data (2008). Wikipedia, US Olympic Gold Medals Per State, USA, [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Jun 2, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    data
    Description

    This Dataset Tally's up the number of Olympic Gold medal winners per state. if an athlete has earned multiple medals, they only count as one. Its just the way it works out. anyways, this was pulled from Wikipedia.org, and is incomplete, these aren't total counts, these are just counts that i could find data for. If you'd like to try to do better, feel free. Source URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Olympic_gold_medalists_for_the_United_States

  16. g

    US Department of Education, University and College Crime, USA, 2002

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Jun 2, 2008
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    US Department of Education (2008). US Department of Education, University and College Crime, USA, 2002 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Jun 2, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    US Department of Education
    data
    Description

    This data reports crime statistics for 4-year public and private post-secondary schools. The source of the data is Department of Education, The Campus Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool: http://ope.ed.gov/security/

  17. g

    CARMA, United States Power Plant Emissions, United States, 2000/2007/Future

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 2, 2008
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    data (2008). CARMA, United States Power Plant Emissions, United States, 2000/2007/Future [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 2, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    data
    CARMA
    Description

    All the data for this dataset is provided from CARMA: Data from CARMA (www.carma.org) This dataset provides information about Power Plant emissions in the USA. Power Plant emissions from all power plants in the United Staes were obtained by CARMA for the past (2000 Annual Report), the present (2007 data), and the future. CARMA determine data presented for the future to reflect planned plant construction, expansion, and retirement. The dataset provides the name, company, parent company, city, state, zip, county, metro area, lat/lon, and plant id for each individual power plant. The dataset reports for the three time periods: Intensity: Pounds of CO2 emitted per megawatt-hour of electricity produced. Energy: Annual megawatt-hours of electricity produced. Carbon: Annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The units are short or U.S. tons. Multiply by 0.907 to get metric tons. Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) is a massive database containing information on the carbon emissions of over 50,000 power plants and 4,000 power companies worldwide. Power generation accounts for 40% of all carbon emissions in the United States and about one-quarter of global emissions. CARMA is the first global inventory of a major, sector of the economy. The objective of CARMA.org is to equip individuals with the information they need to forge a cleaner, low-carbon future. By providing complete information for both clean and dirty power producers, CARMA hopes to influence the opinions and decisions of consumers, investors, shareholders, managers, workers, activists, and policymakers. CARMA builds on experience with public information disclosure techniques that have proven successful in reducing traditional pollutants. Please see carma.org for more information http://carma.org/region/detail/202

  18. g

    United States Department of Labor, State Employment and Unemployment, USA,...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 5, 2008
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    data (2008). United States Department of Labor, State Employment and Unemployment, USA, Feburary 2008 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 5, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
    data
    Description

    This is the monthly data for U.S. employment and unemployment by state including some numbers for Puerto Rico. This dataset was accessed on April 7th 2008. The data for February 2008 are preliminary. The data presented are seasonally adjusted although the unadjusted numbers are also available. Unavailable data are represented as -1. The dataset is taken from Tables 3 and 5 from the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. It includes the civilian labor force, the unemployed in numbers and percentages, and employment by industry. Data from table 3 "refer to place of residence. Data for Puerto Rico are derived from a monthly household survey similar to the Current Population Survey. Area definitions are based on Office of Management and Budget Bulletin No. 08-01, dated November 20, 2007, and are available at http://www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm. Estimates for the latest month are subject to revision the following month". Data from table 5 "are counts of jobs by place of work. Estimates are currently projected from 2007 benchmark levels. Estimates subsequent to the current benchmarks are provisional and will be revised when new information becomes available. Data reflect the conversion to the 2007 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry, replacing NAICS 2002. For more details, see http://www.bls.gov/sae/saenaics07.htm.

  19. g

    Bureau of Justice; Public Performance Project, Prison Population by State,...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated May 7, 2008
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    data (2008). Bureau of Justice; Public Performance Project, Prison Population by State, USA, 2007 and 2008 [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    May 7, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Bureau of Justice; Public Performance Project
    data
    Description

    This dataset shows the number of people that are in prison by state in 2006 and 2007. These numbers are then compared to show the difference between the two years and a percentage of change is given as well. This data was brought to our attention by the Pew Charitable Trusts in their report titled, One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008."" The main emphasis of the article emphasizes the point that in 2007 1 in every 100 Americans were in prison. To note: Many states have not completed their data verification process. Final published figures may differ slightly. The District of Columbia is not included. D.C. prisoners were transferred to federal custody in 2001

  20. g

    Federal Highway Administration, Deck Structure Ratings - National Bridge...

    • geocommons.com
    Updated Apr 29, 2008
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    Federal Highway Administration (2008). Federal Highway Administration, Deck Structure Ratings - National Bridge Inventory, USA, [Dataset]. http://geocommons.com/search.html
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    Dataset updated
    Apr 29, 2008
    Dataset provided by
    Federal Highway Administration
    data
    Description

    This dataset shows the count of Deck structures per county in the United States. the count is divided into safety ratings for each county, with values from 0-9. '0' Failed '1' Imminent '2' Critical '3' Serious '4' Poor '5' Fair '6' Satisfactory '7' Good '8' Very good '9' Excellent 'Unk' Unknown 'N' Not applicable Also Dangerous is summation of 0,1,2 and 3. Risky is summation of 4, 5 and 6. Safe is summation of 7, 8 and 9. Data Source: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/britab.htm

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The Associated Press (2025). Mass Killings in America, 2006 - present [Dataset]. https://data.world/associatedpress/mass-killings-public

Mass Killings in America, 2006 - present

Data from the AP-USA TODAY-Northeastern project tracking the killings of four or more victims from 2006-present

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6 scholarly articles cite this dataset (View in Google Scholar)
zip, csvAvailable download formats
Dataset updated
Oct 25, 2025
Authors
The Associated Press
Time period covered
Jan 1, 2006 - Oct 12, 2025
Area covered
Description

THIS DATASET WAS LAST UPDATED AT 8:11 AM EASTERN ON OCT. 25

OVERVIEW

2019 had the most mass killings since at least the 1970s, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings Database.

In all, there were 45 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator. Of those, 33 were mass shootings . This summer was especially violent, with three high-profile public mass shootings occurring in the span of just four weeks, leaving 38 killed and 66 injured.

A total of 229 people died in mass killings in 2019.

The AP's analysis found that more than 50% of the incidents were family annihilations, which is similar to prior years. Although they are far less common, the 9 public mass shootings during the year were the most deadly type of mass murder, resulting in 73 people's deaths, not including the assailants.

One-third of the offenders died at the scene of the killing or soon after, half from suicides.

About this Dataset

The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database tracks all U.S. homicides since 2006 involving four or more people killed (not including the offender) over a short period of time (24 hours) regardless of weapon, location, victim-offender relationship or motive. The database includes information on these and other characteristics concerning the incidents, offenders, and victims.

The AP/USA TODAY/Northeastern database represents the most complete tracking of mass murders by the above definition currently available. Other efforts, such as the Gun Violence Archive or Everytown for Gun Safety may include events that do not meet our criteria, but a review of these sites and others indicates that this database contains every event that matches the definition, including some not tracked by other organizations.

This data will be updated periodically and can be used as an ongoing resource to help cover these events.

Using this Dataset

To get basic counts of incidents of mass killings and mass shootings by year nationwide, use these queries:

Mass killings by year

Mass shootings by year

To get these counts just for your state:

Filter killings by state

Definition of "mass murder"

Mass murder is defined as the intentional killing of four or more victims by any means within a 24-hour period, excluding the deaths of unborn children and the offender(s). The standard of four or more dead was initially set by the FBI.

This definition does not exclude cases based on method (e.g., shootings only), type or motivation (e.g., public only), victim-offender relationship (e.g., strangers only), or number of locations (e.g., one). The time frame of 24 hours was chosen to eliminate conflation with spree killers, who kill multiple victims in quick succession in different locations or incidents, and to satisfy the traditional requirement of occurring in a “single incident.”

Offenders who commit mass murder during a spree (before or after committing additional homicides) are included in the database, and all victims within seven days of the mass murder are included in the victim count. Negligent homicides related to driving under the influence or accidental fires are excluded due to the lack of offender intent. Only incidents occurring within the 50 states and Washington D.C. are considered.

Methodology

Project researchers first identified potential incidents using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR). Homicide incidents in the SHR were flagged as potential mass murder cases if four or more victims were reported on the same record, and the type of death was murder or non-negligent manslaughter.

Cases were subsequently verified utilizing media accounts, court documents, academic journal articles, books, and local law enforcement records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Each data point was corroborated by multiple sources, which were compiled into a single document to assess the quality of information.

In case(s) of contradiction among sources, official law enforcement or court records were used, when available, followed by the most recent media or academic source.

Case information was subsequently compared with every other known mass murder database to ensure reliability and validity. Incidents listed in the SHR that could not be independently verified were excluded from the database.

Project researchers also conducted extensive searches for incidents not reported in the SHR during the time period, utilizing internet search engines, Lexis-Nexis, and Newspapers.com. Search terms include: [number] dead, [number] killed, [number] slain, [number] murdered, [number] homicide, mass murder, mass shooting, massacre, rampage, family killing, familicide, and arson murder. Offender, victim, and location names were also directly searched when available.

This project started at USA TODAY in 2012.

Contacts

Contact AP Data Editor Justin Myers with questions, suggestions or comments about this dataset at jmyers@ap.org. The Northeastern University researcher working with AP and USA TODAY is Professor James Alan Fox, who can be reached at j.fox@northeastern.edu or 617-416-4400.

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