US Mass Killings Reach Lowest Total Since 2006 at 17

A shooting at a children's birthday party in California last weekend that killed four people marked the 17th mass killing in the United States this year, the lowest annual total recorded since 2006, according to a database tracking such incidents. The event in Stockton underscores a notable decline in these rare but devastating acts, though experts caution that the drop may reflect a temporary return to historical averages rather than a lasting improvement in public safety.

The database, maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, defines mass killings as incidents where four or more people are fatally shot, stabbed, beaten or otherwise slain within a 24-hour period, excluding the perpetrator. It draws from police reports, FBI data, media accounts and court records to compile nationwide figures. As of late 2025, the count stands at 17, a decrease of about 24 percent from 2024's total and following a roughly 20 percent drop that year from 2023. This continues a downward trend after a spike, with 41 mass killings recorded in 2019, the highest on record.

Criminologists attribute the reduction largely to statistical fluctuation in a low-volume...