Record Pace of Mass Killings in the U.S. Continues as Weekly Nightmares

The US is on a record pace for mass killings in 2021, with 88 lives lost in 17 mass killings over 111 days. The violence is sparked by a range of motives, including murder-suicides, domestic violence, gang retaliation, school shootings, and workplace vendettas. The likelihood of Congress reinstating a ban on semi-automatic rifles appears far off, and the US Supreme Court last year set new standards for reviewing the nation's gun laws, calling into question firearms restrictions across the country. Despite the blaring headlines, mass killings are statistically rare, perpetrated by just a handful of people each year in a country of nearly 335 million.