# Suicide Bomber Question... Kinda Dumb...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-bomber-question-kinda-dumb/356275>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-bomber-question-kinda-dumb/356275 "2006-05-10T21:06:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-bomber-question-kinda-dumb/356275/1 "2006-05-10T21:06:18Z")

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When the death toll of a suicide bombing is reported, do they count the bomber as well? If I hear on the news that 30 people have been killed in a suicide attack, does that mean 29 civilians plus one bomber, or 30 people… plus one? Just (morbidly) curious.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-bomber-question-kinda-dumb/356275/2 "2006-05-10T21:48:35Z")

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Once accurate death tolls are compiled (often some time after the event), subsequent reports tend to exclude the bombers. Compare, re. London July 7th bombs:

> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> …suicide bombings which killed fifty-six people, including four suspected bombers…

> [@BBC](#):
>
> Obituaries of the 7 July dead
> 
> Images and full obituaries of the 52 people who lost their lives in the 7 July London bombings.

> **[Timeline of the 2005 London bombings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_London_bombing)**
>
> The following is a timeline of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings.
> All times are in British Summer Time (BST or UTC+01:00).
> Six men appear at Woolwich Crown Court charged with offences relating to the 21 July explosions.

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in\_depth/uk/2005/london\_explosions/default.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2005/london_explosions/default.stm)  
Careful use of language by the Beeb, to be accurate about the ommission…‘lost their lives’ (as opposed to ‘lives were ended’). Similarly, “52 people were killed by suicide bomb attacks” would be accurate.

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**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-bomber-question-kinda-dumb/356275/3 "2006-05-10T21:49:56Z")

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I know I’ve read headlines of school or other public shootings that say, “7 dead in shooting” and one of the seven turns out to be the shooter, who shot themselves. I’d imagine suicide bombings would be reported the same way.

Of course, it might depending on the phrasing. “7 victims of bombing” probably wouldn’t include the bomber, as I wouldn’t call him a victim.