The United States reached a horrific new low point on Sunday afternoon, December 3, when two mass shootings—one in Texas and one in Washington—were reported to 911.
These shootings were the 37th and 38th incidents this year in which four or more people lost their lives. Since at least 2006, this is the greatest number of mass murders in a single year. The previous high was 36, set last year.
A 21-year-old guy from Dallas, who was already on probation for an aggravated assault, stormed into a residence and opened fire, killing three adults and an infant. He got away in a stolen vehicle but reportedly shot and killed himself while being pursued by highway patrol officials.
Meanwhile, five family members were killed in what sheriff's deputies are calling a murder-suicide in a suburb of Vancouver.
Unprecedented Deaths
According to The Washington Post, the most recent fatalities in the US raised the number to 197 for 2023, excluding the killers of the shootings. This is yet another record. Among such incidents, 91 persons were injured and survived.
The most recent two murders, like the vast majority of grisly crimes, took place in private residences rather than in public places.
Since the phrase "mass shooting" lacks a universally accepted meaning, The Washington Post refers to a shooting in which four people are murdered, not including the gunman, as a "mass killing with a gun." Some groups use a broader definition of mass shootings and claim much higher numbers; for example, the Gun Violence Archive covers incidents when several individuals are shot, regardless of the outcome.
Gun Violence
Despite a decline in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of mass shootings in 2019 increased. The bloodiest shootings became more common as life went back to normal.
Thomas Abt, an associate research professor at the University of Maryland and founding director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction, called the record "a tragic, shameful milestone that should ... serve as a wake-up call" to lawmakers who are against gun regulations. Increasingly easy access to weapons is the major reason for the increase in mass shootings, among other considerations.
James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology, law, and public policy at Northeastern University who has researched gun violence for over 40 years and oversees the database of murderous acts, said mass killings are only the beginning, rather than the pandemic that is gun violence. They make up a negligible fraction of all gun-related fatalities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 48,000 individuals died in 2022 as a result of gunshot wounds, which equates to almost 132 fatalities daily. The suicide rate was more than 50%.
Notably, at least 26 of the 38 mass murders this year, and every year since 2006, took place in private residences or shelters. Of these, 19 were committed by individuals who murdered immediate family members, such as spouses, children, or other loved ones.
