Skip to content
Apply
Stories

In wake of Colorado Springs massacre, 2022 is deadliest year for mass killings, Northeastern expert says

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 20: People hold a vigil at a makeshift memorial near the Club Q nightclub on November 20, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Yesterday, a 22-year-old gunman entered the LGBTQ nightclub and opened fire, killing at least five people and injuring 25 others before being stopped by club patrons.

The United States is experiencing a record-setting year for mass killings, according to James Alan Fox, a Northeastern professor who maintains the longest-running and most extensive data source on mass killings.

The growing number of casualties is fueled by tragedies like the recent mass shooting of five people at a Colorado nightclub—an event that has also contributed to a rise in hate crimes nationally, according to Carlos Cuevas, co-director of Northeastern’s Violence and Justice Research Lab.

“I’ve been studying mass killings for over 40 years and I am quite confident that there has never been a year where we’ve had so many,” says Fox, the Lipman Family Professor of Criminology, Law and Public Policy at Northeastern.

Continue reading at News@Northeastern.

More Stories

A Palestinian youth collects water at a desalination plant in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Attacks on desalination plants in the Middle East threaten vital freshwater supplies for civilians

03.12.2026
Tear gas is deployed amid protesters near the scene where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis.(AP Photo/Adam Gray)

National survey finds massive ‘partisan chasm’ on immigration

03.11.2026
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.

Spotted a bear lately? You’re not alone — why sightings are on the rise

03.13.26
Northeastern Global News