New Research Shows Murder-Suicide Events in the U.S. More Frequent Than Previously Documented
A newly published study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveals that murder-suicide events — incidents in which someone kills one or more people before taking their own life — occur more often in the United States than prior estimates suggested. Neuroscience News
What the Study Found
Researchers analyzed detailed data from the National Violent Death Reporting System across 30 states for the years 2016–2022. Over that period, they identified 5,743 deaths linked to murder-suicide events — about 820 deaths per yearon average.
Key patterns include:
Most perpetrators were white males.
Over half of the homicide victims were current or former intimate partners, highlighting the role of domestic violence.
Nearly 90% of the suicide deaths in these events involved a firearm.
Children under 18 accounted for about 14% of homicide victims in these incidents.
Rates varied widely by state — highest in places like Alaska and Arizona and lowest in states such as Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Why This Matters
While rare compared to overall homicide and suicide statistics, murder-suicide events tend to be extremely violent and tragic, often affecting families and communities deeply. Because more than half of these cases involve intimate partners and most involve firearms, the findings point to two areas of particular public health concern:
Domestic Violence Prevention: Strengthening screening, intervention, and support services can help address the underlying dynamics that often precede these events.
Firearm Access and Safety: Because firearms are involved in nearly all suicide components of murder-suicide incidents, policy approaches that reduce access among high-risk individuals — such as Extreme Risk Protection Orders — may play a role in preventing some tragedies.
A Public Health Perspective
Understanding murder-suicide events from a public health lens means looking beyond individual cases to the patterns and systemic factors that contribute. The concentration of these events around intimate partner violence and firearms underscores the importance of cross-sector strategies — including domestic violence services, community mental health supports, and sensible firearm safety measures — that can reduce risk and improve safety for vulnerable individuals.
What’s Next
While this study improves our understanding of the scope and characteristics of murder-suicide events, it also highlights areas where more prevention work is needed. Public health professionals, policymakers, and community leaders can use these findings to:
Inform targeted prevention initiatives
Advocate for data-driven policies that support safety and wellbeing
Strengthen partnerships between health, justice, and social services systems
By shining a light on a complex and painful issue, research like this can help communities move toward effective, evidence-based prevention — and ultimately reduce the toll of violence and loss