8 deaths in Allen, Texas, shooting puts 2023 on pace to be one of the worst years in mass killings

The mass shooting in Allen, Texas, in which eight people died and seven were injured Saturday is the 22nd mass killing in the U.S. this year. That means 2023 could be one of the deadliest years in fatal shootings in recent history, in both number of victims and attacks.

The database maintained by USA TODAY, The Associated Press, and Northeastern University tracks all mass killings in the U.S. since 2006. It includes every mass killing from all weapons in which four or more people, excluding the offender, were killed within a 24-hour time frame. 

The eight deaths at the Allen outdoor mall were the second-highest of such incidents in 2023. Eleven people were killed in a shooting in a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Jan. 21.

The data also shows that six public fatal shootings were reported in the first third of 2023. That's as many as in all of 2012. It's also greater than the total number of such shootings in 11 of the 18 years tracked by the database.

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SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press