The United States has recorded its highest number of mass shootings in a single year, surpassing the previous record set in 2022. As of Sunday, the country has experienced 38 mass shootings in 2023, resulting in at least 203 deaths, according to an Associated Press database.
Two attacks on Sunday, occurring within hours of each other in Texas and Washington state, pushed the total past last year's record of 36. In Vancouver, Washington, authorities believe a murder-suicide killed five family members, while in Dallas, a 21-year-old man with a prior aggravated assault charge shot five people, including a toddler.
Another attack on Sunday in New York City involved a 38-year-old man stabbing four relatives, including two children, as well as another woman and two police officers before being shot by officers. This incident marked the country's 41st mass killing of 2023.
Mass shootings are defined as incidents where four or more people die, excluding the perpetrator. The FBI uses a similar definition. However, different groups count these events differently; the Gun Violence Archive, which includes any incident where multiple people are shot regardless of deaths, reports 630 mass shootings for the year.
Most mass shootings this year have occurred in private homes or shelters, with at least 26 of the 38 taking place in such settings. The deadliest attack of 2023 was in Lewiston, Maine, on 25 October, where an army reservist killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar.
