LOCALIZE IT: Database tracks mass killings over past decade
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
Horrific shootings in schools and public spaces such as movie theaters, grocery stores and shopping malls attract vast attention, and most Americans believe this seemingly indiscriminate violence poses the greatest threat when it comes to mass carnage.
An analysis by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, however, shows these types of crimes, while terrifying, actually represent a small fraction of the mass killings in the U.S.
The collaboration involved tracking all mass killings in the country over the past decade and compiling the results into a database, which is available for your reporting use: https://data.world/associatedpress/mass-killings-public.
The database allows you to explore national trends and search for details on mass killings in your area. A few of its findings:
— Victims of mass homicides are far more likely to be killed by a family member or acquaintance than by a stranger.
— Private gun violence makes up a far greater percentage of mass murders in the U.S.
— Despite high-profile mass killings in recent years, including in 2022, the incidence of such shootings remains flat over time.
Here are some things to know about the data and ways to use it:
BACKGROUND
This project includes all types of intentional killings — from stabbings to shootings to strangulation to blunt force trauma — where four or more people, excluding the assailant, died in a 24-hour period.
It includes every mass killing since 2006, but unlike the Gun Violence Archive it does not include non-fatal shootings. The database also does not include homicides caused by driving under the influence or accidental fires due to lack of intent.
Every mass killing included in the database was independently corroborated by multiple sources, including FBI crime data, news stories, court records, interviews and other materials.
James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology, law and public policy at Northeastern University in Boston, oversees the database and continues to add information drawn from media reports, FBI data, arrest records, medical examiners’ reports, prison records and other court documents.
SEARCH THE DATA
There are 59 data fields included in the research, including the number of victims involved in each mass killing, when the attacks occurred and the type of locations where they happened, like a home or school.
These interactives allow you to explore the data from your cities and states:
— Search mass killing incidents
Embed it on your site:
<iframe src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/storytelling-embed/master/mass-killings-front-end/incident_lookup.html" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; margin:0; padding:0;" resizable="" width="100%" height="870" frameborder="no"></iframe>
<script src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/responsive/iframe-resizer/parent-resizer.js"></script>
— Mass killings by location scaled by number of victims
Embed it on your site:
<iframe src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/storytelling-embed/master/mass-killings-front-end/incident_map.html" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; margin:0; padding:0;" resizable="" width="100%" height="925" frameborder="no"></iframe>
<script src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/responsive/iframe-resizer/parent-resizer.js"></script>
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Read more about the overall findings, along with the research, data and methods used here: Mass killings database reveals trends, details and anguish in every US event since 2006
ADDITIONAL GRAPHICS
Timeline of mass killings scaled by number of victims killed
Embed code:
<iframe src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/storytelling-embed/master/mass-killings-front-end/timeline.html" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; margin:0; padding:0;" resizable="" width="100%" height="1050" frameborder="no"></iframe>
<script src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/responsive/iframe-resizer/parent-resizer.js"></script>
Number of mass killings and victims killed this year compared with previous years
Embed code:
<iframe src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/storytelling-embed/master/mass-killings-front-end/incident_year_lines.html" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; margin:0; padding:0;" resizable="" width="100%" height="730" frameborder="no"></iframe>
<script src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/responsive/iframe-resizer/parent-resizer.js"></script>
Number of mass killings by year
Embed code:
<iframe src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/storytelling-embed/master/mass-killings-front-end/incident_trends.html" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; margin:0; padding:0;" resizable="" width="100%" height="453" frameborder="no"></iframe>
<script src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/responsive/iframe-resizer/parent-resizer.js"></script>
___
Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.