# 2017 Mass Killings in the United States **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508 "2017-01-07T03:06:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/1 "2017-01-07T03:06:32Z")
This list is the tenth of the series. I have usually posted it on Reddit and elsewhere. It is, I think unique and might even be important. I shall update it throughout the year. 2017 Mass Killings in USA 4 or more killed, including suicides One killer By any criminal means In one emotional event 1. 1 January 2017, Lexington County, SC 4 killed (shot) ([http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341)) 2. 6 January 2017 Fort Lauderdale. FL 5 killed (shot) ([BSO: 5 dead, 6 hurt after shooting at FLL – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale](http://wsvn.com/news/local/multiple-people-shot-at-fort-lauderdale-hollywood-intl-airport/)) Events 2 Killed 9 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/2 "2017-01-07T05:04:43Z")
I’ll take the “Over”. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/3 "2017-01-07T08:29:49Z")
There is now a new #2, changing the list to: 1. 1 January 2017, Lexington County, SC 4 killed (shot) ([http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341)) 2. 5 January 2017, Hubbard, OR 5 killed (multiple) ([Sheriff: Four bodies found in burned Hubbard home died of gunshot wounds to the head | KATU](http://katu.com/news/local/sheriff-four-bodies-found-in-burned-hubbard-home-died-of-gunshot-wounds-to-the-head)) 3. 6 January 2017 Fort Lauderdale. FL 5 killed (shot) ([BSO: 5 dead, 6 hurt after shooting at FLL – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale](http://wsvn.com/news/local/multiple-people-shot-at-fort-lauderdale-hollywood-intl-airport/)) Events 3 Killed 14 ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/4 "2017-01-07T15:54:26Z")
Your criteria would have ruled out the Columbine High School massacre as there were two perpetrators. Was that your intention? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/5 "2017-01-07T16:08:04Z")
Notes on Methodology. This list started as a diversion in 2006 when I realized the FBI was changing the definition of “Mass Killing.” I decided this was an attempt to define the problem away. I began to collect reports from the news media. While an ideal list would be exactly comparable from year to year, this one is not. As the years went by, I became better able to find reports in local newspapers. The number of incidents have increased, but at least some of this is because of better reporting. These lists aim to include: Criminal killings Of more than four people In one “emotional event” By a single killer In the United States. Appling these rules leads to some strange rulings. The Columbine School Killing is not included because there were two killers. Serial killers are not included as there is a long time between each murder. Vehicular homicides count if the driver (the killer) is charged with a crime. If he is killed in the accident he is not charged and so not listed here. On the other hand, I count other mass killings if the murderer kills himself, and so is never charged. Most controversially I count a suicide by the murderer. If a person kills three others and himself, that event is included. If he kills three others and is himself slain by the police, the event is not included. I myself am not completely happy with this. I have learned that it important to have rules, even if they impose limits of my own judgement. The rules are important because they impose limits on my own judgement. I admit a prejudice towards including events. If a person is charged with a crime and later is found not guilty, I will keep the incident on the list. I hope everything on the list is correct, but admit some incidents that ought to be here are not. Most likely I simply did not see a news report. I welcome corrections. Recapitulation 2017 2016 55 291 Orlando 2015 51 238 2014 35 165 2013 29 145 2012 20 134 Newtown 2011 29 152 2010 21 107 2009 30 173 2008 28 140 2007 23 141 Virginia Tech 2006 31 157 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/6 "2017-01-07T20:36:36Z")
Any ideas why there was an increase in 2015 and 2016 to anout 50 incidents/year, from the previous average of about 30? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/7 "2017-01-08T01:23:35Z")
I figure I got better at finding the things. All the entries are correct (I hope). I fear that some things that ought to be included are not. I sort of hoped I could somehow make this a crowd-sourced list, but nobody else has ever contributed to it. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/8 "2017-01-12T14:04:47Z")
1. 10 January 2017 Colorado Springs, CO 4 killed (shot) ([Colorado Springs police find man, woman and 2 children dead in murder-suicide – The Denver Post](http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/colorado-springs-bodies-found/)) Events 4 Killed 18 ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/9 "2017-01-12T14:13:26Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > These lists aim to include: > Criminal killings > Of more than four people > In one “emotional event” > By a single killer > In the United States. > > Most controversially I count a suicide by the murderer. If a person kills three others and himself, that event is included. If he kills three others and is himself slain by the police, the event is not included. Which of your criteria excludes the case of a killer who is slain by the police? The “single killer” rule? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/10 "2017-01-12T14:17:15Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/11 "2017-01-12T14:25:03Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Yes. To take the Columbine killings as an example, each of the two perpetrators would seem to count under your criteria by themselves. That is, the massacre itself would not, but Harris and Klebold each separately would. It seems odd to me not to count that. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/12 "2017-01-12T15:43:17Z")
I am afraid The Commissioner has already ruled. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/13 "2017-01-12T19:23:31Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > 4)Events 4 > Killed 18 If this pace is kept, we are looking at a busy year. 104 events and 468 killed :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/14 "2017-01-13T04:17:18Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > Any ideas why there was an increase in 2015 and 2016 to anout 50 incidents/year, from the previous average of about 30? > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I figure I got better at finding the things. All the entries are correct (I hope). I fear that some things that ought to be included are not. I sort of hoped I could somehow make this a crowd-sourced list, but nobody else has ever contributed to it. This article implies that stand your ground laws may have caused the increase [A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests stand-your-ground laws result in more fatal shootings](http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21713892-florida-saw-sudden-and-sustained-rise-homicide-rate-24-after-introducing-one?fsrc=scn%2Ffb%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fed%2Fastudybythejournalofamericanmedicinesuggestsstandyourgroundlawsresultinmorefatalshootings) Abstract of original research article is here, full text is behind a paywall: [http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582988](http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582988) ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/15 "2017-01-15T03:44:05Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I am afraid The Commissioner has already ruled. Did you give your reasoning to yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/16 "2017-01-15T18:49:30Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > Did you give your reasoning to yourself? That’ll put hair on your palms! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/17 "2017-01-16T05:44:49Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > This article implies that stand your ground laws may have caused the increase [A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests stand-your-ground laws result in more fatal shootings](http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21713892-florida-saw-sudden-and-sustained-rise-homicide-rate-24-after-introducing-one?fsrc=scn%2Ffb%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fed%2Fastudybythejournalofamericanmedicinesuggestsstandyourgroundlawsresultinmorefatalshootings) > > Abstract of original research article is here, full text is behind a paywall: [http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582988](http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582988) That study doesn’t suggest any increase in mass killings as defined by the OP. (That’s an oddly attenuated study, by the way. Why not simply examine the underlying data to determine how many of the homicides were found to be self-defense?) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/18 "2017-02-01T15:45:58Z")
Recapitulation for January: 1. 1 January 2017, Lexington County, SC 4 killed (shot) ([http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/authorities-killed-home-apparent-murder-suicide-44509341)) 2. 5 January 2017, Hubbard, OR 5 killed (multiple) ([Sheriff: Four bodies found in burned Hubbard home died of gunshot wounds to the head | KATU](http://katu.com/news/local/sheriff-four-bodies-found-in-burned-hubbard-home-died-of-gunshot-wounds-to-the-head)) 3. 6 January 2017 Fort Lauderdale. FL 5 killed (shot) ([BSO: 5 dead, 6 hurt after shooting at FLL – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale](http://wsvn.com/news/local/multiple-people-shot-at-fort-lauderdale-hollywood-intl-airport/)) 4. 10 January 2017 Colorado Springs, CO 4 killed (shot) ([Colorado Springs police find man, woman and 2 children dead in murder-suicide – The Denver Post](http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/colorado-springs-bodies-found/)) 5. 28 January 2017 Kitsnap County, WA 4 killed (Not reported) ([http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article130005409.html](http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article130005409.html)) Events 5 Killed 22 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/19 "2017-02-06T14:11:42Z")
1. 6 February 2017 Yazoo City MS 4 killed (Shot) ([http://wjtv.com/2017/02/06/breaking-4-people-shot-and-killed-in-yazoo-city/](http://wjtv.com/2017/02/06/breaking-4-people-shot-and-killed-in-yazoo-city/)) Events 6 Killed 28 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508/20 "2017-02-08T13:58:28Z")
1. 7 February 2017 Morris OK 4 killed (Not reported) ([Okmulgee Co. sheriff suspects murder-suicide after Morris family of 4 found dead](http://ktul.com/news/local/okmulgee-co-sheriff-suspects-murder-suicide-after-morris-family-of-4-found-dead)) Events 7 Killed 32 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-mass-killings-in-the-united-states/776508.md?page=2)