U.S. Murder-Suicides Are More Common Than Thought

Key TakeawaysU.S. rates of murder-suicide may be higher than previously understoodAbout 820 of these tragedies occur across the United States annually, new data showsFormer or current intimate partners of the perpetrator are most often killed.MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Murder-suicides — where a person kills one or more people before killing themselves soon after — are sensational, but very rare.Or are they? New research finds that these tragedies are occurring more often in the United States than has been recognized. Many are taking place between intimate partners, according to a new study from Columbia University in New York City. "Murder-suicide events involve a high level of violence with tragic consequences. We felt it was crucial to provide an updated assessment of how often these events occur in the United States, who is affected, and where they are happening. This information is vital for guiding effective prevention and intervention strategies,” said study lead author Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia.Her team published its findings July 29 in JAMA Network Open.The study was based on 2016-2022 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, focused on 30 states. A murder-suicide was defined as an event described by police reports and other information as one or more homicides, followed by the suspect’s suicide within a 24-hour period.Overall, 5,743 deaths were linked to murder-suicides during the seven years studied — an average of 820 deaths annually— including 3,125 homicides and 2,618 suicides. White males made up the bulk of perpetrators.Murder-suicide rates were highest in Alaska and Arizona, and lowest in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the team said.“There is substantial variation in murder-suicide rates by state, which underscores the importance of tailoring prevention strategies to local conditions — such as gun legislation, mental health infrastructure, and domestic violence response systems,” Keyes said.Children made up 14% of people killed. And in more than half of homicides, the victim was a current or former intimate partner of the perpetrator, Keyes’ team reported. Guns were involved in nearly all perpetrator suicides. What must be done to bring these numbers down?“Given that the majority of victims were intimately connected to the perpetrator, strengthening domestic violence screening and intervention programs must be a top public health priority,” Keyes stressed in a Columbia news release. “And with nearly 90% of these events involving firearms, implementing and enforcing policies to restrict firearm access — such as extreme risk protection orders — may be especially effective in reducing these tragic outcomes.”More informationIf you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, anonymous, 24/7 help is at hand at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.SOURCE: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, news release, July 31, 2025 .What This Means For YouMurder-suicides may be more common than many people realize, with intimate partners of the perpetrator most often the victim..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter