Slain at the hands of strangers or gunned down by loved ones. Massacred in small towns, in big cities, inside their own homes or outside in broad daylight. This year’s unrelenting bloodshed across the US has led to the grimmest of milestones: The deadliest six months of mass killings recorded since at least 2006. From January 1 to June 30, the nation endured 28 mass killings, all but one of which involved guns. The death toll rose just about every week, a constant cycle of violence and grief. Six months. 181 days. 28 mass killings. 140 victims. One country.
“What a ghastly milestone,” said Brent Leatherwood, whose three children were in class at a private Christian school in Nashville on March 27 when a former student killed three children and three adults. “You never think your family would be a part of a statistic like that.”
A mass killing is defined as an occurrence when four or more people are slain, not including the assailant, within a 24-hour period. A database maintained by Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University tracks violence dating back to 2006. The 2023 milestone beat the previous record of 27 mass killings, which was only set in the second half of 2022.
Experts attribute the rising bloodshed to a growing population with an increased number of guns in the US. Despite the unprecedented carnage, the National Rifle Association maintains fierce opposition to regulating firearms, including AR-15-style rifles. “We’ll never apologise for championing self-defence rights,” an NRA spokesman said.
“What a ghastly milestone,” said Brent Leatherwood, whose three children were in class at a private Christian school in Nashville on March 27 when a former student killed three children and three adults. “You never think your family would be a part of a statistic like that.”
A mass killing is defined as an occurrence when four or more people are slain, not including the assailant, within a 24-hour period. A database maintained by Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University tracks violence dating back to 2006. The 2023 milestone beat the previous record of 27 mass killings, which was only set in the second half of 2022.
Experts attribute the rising bloodshed to a growing population with an increased number of guns in the US. Despite the unprecedented carnage, the National Rifle Association maintains fierce opposition to regulating firearms, including AR-15-style rifles. “We’ll never apologise for championing self-defence rights,” an NRA spokesman said.