Mass murder (sometimes interchangeable with "mass destruction") is the act of murdering many people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time. The FBI defines mass murder as murdering four or more persons during an event with no "cooling-off period" between the murders.
Since 2006, there have been more than 200 mass killings in the United States. While only about 1% of all murders nationally, mass killings still happen frequently. The FBI counted 172 cases of mass killings between 2006 and 2011. That does not include some large states such as Florida, for example. Poor reporting by police agencies to the FBI also means some mass killings were left out, while others that don’t meet the standard were included.
Timeline of U.S. Mass Killings
PUBLIC MASSACRES LIKE NEWTOWN ACCOUNT FOR 1 IN 6 MASS KILLINGS: Breakups, estrangements and family arguments make up the majority of cases, though unrelated victims may be caught in the crossfire. (USA Today)
Timeline of U.S. Mass Killings
PUBLIC MASSACRES LIKE NEWTOWN ACCOUNT FOR 1 IN 6 MASS KILLINGS: Breakups, estrangements and family arguments make up the majority of cases, though unrelated victims may be caught in the crossfire. (USA Today)
Charles Joseph Whitman August 1966 killed 16, wounded 32
Whitman was a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Marine who killed 16 people and wounded 32 others during a shooting rampage on and around the university's campus on August 1, 1966.Whitman killed his mother and wife in the hours before he began shooting from his perch in the observation deck of the 27-story clock tower, just before noon on August 1, 1966. He wanted to spare them the shame of living with his deeds.During his terrorizing three-hour tantrum, he shot a pregnant woman, Claire Wilson, killing her unborn child with a gunshot to the head while still in the womb. Wilson survived but would not be able to have any more children.
Three decades later a seventeenth death would be attributed to Whitman when in November 2001 David Gunby died of injuries he suffered when he was shot that day. He had been shot in the lower back, destroying his kidney, leading to a kidney transplant and a life of dialysis treatments. The child was the sixteenth Whitman victim, yet sometimes the baby is not listed in the final tally of the dead.
Following more than an hour of mayhem on the UT campus — Whitman was so terrifyingly accurate with his high-powered rifle that he shot people as far as 500 yards away — McCoy and a small group of others made their way to an observation deck atop the 28-story tower. McCoy fired twice from his 12-gauge shotgun, shooting Whitman in the face. Officer Ramiro Martinez also fired on Whitman.
An autopsy performed on Whitman would find that he had been suffering from a brain tumor. He had been complaining of headaches and mental health issues for some time, and relayed as much in his suicide note. The autopsy report stated that he had a glioblastoma, a variety of brain tumor, which was pressing the part of the brain which controlled emotional patterns. It was reportedly the size of a walnut.
Whitman was a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Marine who killed 16 people and wounded 32 others during a shooting rampage on and around the university's campus on August 1, 1966.Whitman killed his mother and wife in the hours before he began shooting from his perch in the observation deck of the 27-story clock tower, just before noon on August 1, 1966. He wanted to spare them the shame of living with his deeds.During his terrorizing three-hour tantrum, he shot a pregnant woman, Claire Wilson, killing her unborn child with a gunshot to the head while still in the womb. Wilson survived but would not be able to have any more children.
Three decades later a seventeenth death would be attributed to Whitman when in November 2001 David Gunby died of injuries he suffered when he was shot that day. He had been shot in the lower back, destroying his kidney, leading to a kidney transplant and a life of dialysis treatments. The child was the sixteenth Whitman victim, yet sometimes the baby is not listed in the final tally of the dead.
Following more than an hour of mayhem on the UT campus — Whitman was so terrifyingly accurate with his high-powered rifle that he shot people as far as 500 yards away — McCoy and a small group of others made their way to an observation deck atop the 28-story tower. McCoy fired twice from his 12-gauge shotgun, shooting Whitman in the face. Officer Ramiro Martinez also fired on Whitman.
An autopsy performed on Whitman would find that he had been suffering from a brain tumor. He had been complaining of headaches and mental health issues for some time, and relayed as much in his suicide note. The autopsy report stated that he had a glioblastoma, a variety of brain tumor, which was pressing the part of the brain which controlled emotional patterns. It was reportedly the size of a walnut.
Guy Heinze Jr. August 2009 8 Victims
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