Boston, MA – Homicides in the United States dropped by 12% in 2023, a significant decline that was predicted by James Alan Fox, a criminology expert. However, the country also experienced a new record for mass shootings, with a total of 39 incidents resulting in at least four victim fatalities.
Fox, who serves as the Lipman Family Professor of Criminology, Law, and Public Policy at Northeastern University, oversees the Mass Killing Database, which has been cataloging mass killings since 2006. According to Fox, last year’s mass shootings set new records in both the number of incidents occurring in public settings and the total number of mass killings, with a total of 42 incidents recorded.
Of the 39 mass shootings, 10 took place in public locations, inflicting widespread fear and trauma on communities across the country. Additionally, a tragic event in Lewiston, Maine, saw 18 people lose their lives and 13 others wounded, marking it as the 10th deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Fox highlights that while public mass shootings captured headlines, approximately half of all mass shootings actually occur within private homes, often in the form of murder-suicides involving family members. Notably, the rise in public mass shootings has been attributed to various factors, including economic hardship and political divisions within the U.S.
Despite the decline in homicides, with the U.S. experiencing a 30% surge in murders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall number of mass killings remained high. The Mass Killing Database recorded a total of 574 mass killings since 2006, claiming nearly 3,000 lives.
Fox also notes that none of the mass killings recorded in 2023 were classified as hate crimes, emphasizing that while mass shootings may capture public attention, hate-fueled crimes continue to drive a significant number of homicides overall.
Looking ahead to 2024, Fox anticipates relatively stable numbers of mass shootings and killings, suggesting that the patterns established in 2023 are likely to persist in the coming year.