List of rampage killers (familicides in the United States)
This is a list of familicides that occurred in the United States. Being part of the list of rampage killers, the latter's terms of inclusion are also applied here.
A rampage killer has been defined as follows:
A rampage involves the (attempted) killing of multiple persons least partly in public space by a single physically present perpetrator using (potentially) deadly weapons in a single event without any cooling-off period.
This list should contain every case with at least one of the following features:
- Rampage killings with 6 or more dead
- In all cases the perpetrator is not counted among those killed or injured.
All abbreviations used in the table are explained below.
Rampage killers
Perpetrator | Date | Year | Location | State | Killed | Injured | W | Additional Notes | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Simmons, Ronald Gene, 47 | Dec. 22–28 | 1987 | Pope County | Arkansas | 16 |
4
|
FMO | Sentenced to death and executed | |
2. | Banks, George Emil, 40 | Sept. 25 | 1982 | Wilkes-Barre & Jenkins Township | Pennsylvania | 13 |
1
|
F | Sentenced to death | |
3. | Ruppert, James Urban, 40* | March 30 | 1975 | Hamilton | Ohio | 11 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to eleven consecutive life terms | |
4. | Pardo, Bruce Jeffrey, 45 | Dec. 24 | 2008 | Covina | California | 9 |
2
|
F A | Committed suicide | |
5. | Clemmens, Abel, 33* | Nov. 10 | 1805 | Clarksburg | West Virginia | 9 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to death and executed | |
6. | Woolfolk, Thomas George, 27* | Aug. 6 | 1887 | Macon | Georgia | 9 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to death and executed Simon Cooper is suspected of having committed the murders |
|
7. | Hassell, George Jefferson, 39* | Dec. 5 | 1926 | Farwell | Texas | 9 |
0
|
FM | Sentenced to death and executed Killed 4 people in 1917 |
|
8. | Waszak, John, 54* | April 18 | 1937 | Muskego | Wisconsin | 9 |
0
|
E | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
9. | Acquin, Lorne Joe, 27 | July 22 | 1977 | Prospect | Connecticut | 9 |
0
|
MA | Sentenced to 105 years to life imprisonment | |
10. | Wesson, Marcus Delon, 57* | March 12 | 2004 | Fresno | California | 9 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to death | |
11. | de Capua, Tony, 42 | Sept. 3 | 1927 | Youngstown | Ohio | 8 |
3
|
F | Found not guilty by reason of insanity | |
12. | Purrington, James, 46* | July 9 | 1806 | Augusta | Maine | 8 |
1
|
M | Committed suicide | |
13. | Heinze, Guy, 22* | Aug. 29 | 2009 | Brunswick | Georgia | 8 |
2
|
M | Sentenced to life imprisonment Also killed three cats |
|
14. | Torres, Rafael, 40* | June 25 | 1969 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 8 |
1
|
M | Arrested, but only prosecuted only a separate shooting earlier Released from a psychiatric hospital in 1984 |
|
15. | Russell, Francis Lloyd, 39* | June 4 | 1925 | Hamilton | Ohio | 8 |
0
|
F | Found not guilty by reason of insanity | |
16. | Gonzalez, Celestino P., 36 | July 9 | 1936 | Indiana Harbor | Indiana | 8 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
17. | Gragg, Ralph Marler, 32–33* | May 2 | 1951 | Collettsville | North Carolina | 8 |
0
|
FMA | Committed suicide | |
18. | Akulonis, Peter Joseph, 39* | April 15 | 1953 | Lawrence | Massachusetts | 8 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
19. | Pierce, Etheridge, 17 | March 26/29 | 1992 | New York City & Rochester | New York | 8 |
0 |
F | Sentenced to 75 years in prison | |
20. | Speight, Christopher Bryan, 39 | Jan. 17/19 | 2010 | Appomattox | Virginia | 8 |
0
|
F E | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
21. | Conley, David Ray, 48 | Aug. 8 | 2015 | Houston | Texas | 8 |
0 |
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
22. | Godbolt, Willie Corey, 35 | May 27 | 2017 | Bogue Chitto & Brookhaven | Mississippi | 8 |
0 |
F | Sentenced to death | |
23. | Salcido Bojorquez, Ramon, 28 | April 14 | 1989 | Sonoma County | California | 7 |
2
|
FM | Sentenced to death | |
24. | Hildebrandt, Hannah, 35* | Jan. 13 | 1896 | Marysville | Kansas | 7 |
1
|
P | Committed suicide | |
25. | Collett, George M., 45 | Jan. 8 | 1935 | Mount Vernon | Kentucky | 7 |
1
|
F | Committed suicide | |
26. | Lias, Frankie Lee, 20* | Feb. 18 | 1974 | Fayette | Mississippi | 7 |
1
|
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
27. | Kirby, Judy, 31 | March 25 | 2000 | Martinsville | Indiana | 7 |
1
|
V | Sentenced to 215 years in prison | |
28. | Aldridge, Joseph Jesse, 36 | Feb. 26 | 2015 | Tyrone | Missouri | 7 |
1
|
F | Committed suicide | |
29. | Kaiser, Moritz, 50* |
Feb. 28/ March 1 |
1878 | Monroe County | Illinois | 7 |
0
|
MA | Perished in the fire | |
30. | Reid, Nathan | Dec. 25 | 1887 | Worth County | Georgia | 7 |
0
|
MA | Committed suicide | |
31. | Baker, John Gerhardt, 34* | Sept. 26 | 1897 | Carrolton | Iowa | 7 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
32. | Kraus, August* | March 12 | 1903 | Bellefontaine | Missouri | 7 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
33. | Markham, Julia* | Sept. 30 | 1905 | Cambridge | Illinois | 7 |
0
|
MA | Committed suicide | |
34. | Ayer, Charles H., 43* | Jan. 17 | 1906 | Pembroke | New Hampshire | 7 |
0
|
F O | Committed suicide | |
35. | Grant, James T.* | Dec. 26 | 1911 | Benton | Arkansas | 7 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
36. | O'Kane, Daniel, 47–48* | March 6 | 1916 | Lawton | Oklahoma | 7 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
37. | Green, Addie* | March 10/11 | 1917 | Nashville | Arkansas | 7 |
0 |
M | Arrested | |
38. | Stravisar, Mary* | July 29 | 1919 | Kimberly | Ohio | 7 |
0
|
A | Committed suicide | |
39. | Lawson, Charles Davis, 43* | Dec. 25 | 1929 | Germanton | North Carolina | 7 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
40. | Geller, Ethel, 44* | May 6 | 1930 | Columbus | Ohio | 7 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
41. | Gravlin, William Glenn, 30* | Sept. 29 | 1964 | Troy | Michigan | 7 |
0
|
FM | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
42. | Belcher, Harry M., 32* | Jan. 25 | 1965 | Ferndale | Michigan | 7 |
0
|
A | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
43. | Hanks, Lee M., 21 | July 6 | 1981 | Syracuse | New York | 7 |
0 |
A | Sentenced to 20 years to life Terminated a pregnancy |
|
44. | Haggart, Robert Lee, 31* | Feb. 17 | 1982 | Farwell | Michigan | 7 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment Killed a woman in 1977 |
|
45. | Lynam, Daniel Patrick, 36* | July 11 | 1987 | Tacoma & Federal Way | Washington | 7 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
46. | Schnick, James Eugene, 36* | Sept. 25 | 1987 | Elkland | Missouri | 7 |
0
|
FM | Sentenced to death | |
47. | Avanesian, Jorjik, 40* | Feb. 6 | 1996 | Glendale | California | 7 |
0
|
A | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
48. | Spirit, Don Charles, 51* | Sept. 18 | 2014 | Bell | Florida | 7 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
49. | Hart, Jennifer Jean, 38* | March 26 | 2018 | Westport | California | 7 |
0
|
V | Died in the crash | |
50. | Haight, Michael, 42 | Jan. 4 | 2023 | Enoch | Utah | 7 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
51. | Helde, Paul* | July 17 | 1881 | Eagle Creek Valley | Wisconsin | 6–8 |
0–2
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
52. | Crump, Danny Eugene, 27 | Sept. 20 | 1980 | Olathe | Kansas | 6 |
3
|
E | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
53. | Dotson, Jessie L., 33 | March 2 | 2008 | Memphis | Tennessee | 6 |
3
|
FM | Sentenced to death Killed a man in 1994 |
|
54. | Cameron, Donald T., 35 | Dec. 9 | 1939 | Chippewa Falls | Wisconsin | 6 |
2 |
F A | Committed suicide | |
55. | Kline, Sherman, 38 | Dec. 18 | 1968 | Carlinville | Illinois | 6 |
2
|
F | Committed suicide | |
56. | McConaughy, Robert, 31* | May 30 | 1840 | Hill Valley | Pennsylvania | 6 |
1
|
FM | Sentenced to death and executed | |
57. | Lackey, Albert Newton | Aug. 24 | 1885 | Blanco City | Texas | 6 |
1 |
FM | Killed by angry mob | |
58. | Cooper, Emma, 42* | June 12 | 1908 | Cadillac | Michigan | 6 |
1
|
F | Committed suicide | |
59. | Schoch, Kathryn, 37* | Dec. 22/23 | 1934 |
Dunkirk Pittsburgh |
New York Pennsylvania |
6 |
1
|
F P | Committed suicide | |
60. | David, Rachel, 38* | Aug. 3 | 1978 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 6 |
1
|
O | Committed suicide | |
61. | Bell, King Edward, 31 | Aug. 21 | 1981 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 6 |
1
|
F | Sentenced to six consecutive 40-year terms | |
62. | Haskell, Ronald Lee, 33 | July 9 | 2014 | Spring | Texas | 6 |
1
|
F | Sentenced to death | |
63. | Stone, Bradley William, 35 | Dec. 15 | 2014 |
Souderton, Lansdale, & Lower Salford Township |
Pennsylvania | 6 |
1
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
64. | Pridgeon, Jarron Deajon, 25 (accused) | Feb. 2 | 2021 | Muskogee | Oklahoma | 6 |
1 |
F | Arrested | |
65. | O'Neil, Patsy, 19 | Sept. 11 | 1846 | Overton County | Tennessee | 7 |
0 |
M | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
66. | Dakin, ---* | March 25 | 1871 | Stonefort | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
67. | Wampler, Lewis* | May | 1884 | Pleasanton | Kansas | 6 |
0 |
FM | Committed suicide | |
68. | Gallegos, Jose Trujillo | Feb. 17 | 1885 | Las Norias | New Mexico | 6 |
0
|
M | Arrested | |
69. | Dunham, James C. | May 26 | 1896 | Campbell | California | 6 |
0
|
FM | Escaped | |
70. | Hansen, Jens* | Jan. 12 | 1896 | Chicago | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
P | Committed suicide | |
71. | Klaettke, Richard, 38* | Feb. 5 | 1896 | Chicago | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
72. | Wurtzer, Rosa, 40* | Feb. 24 | 1901 | Uniontown | Washington | 6 |
0
|
MO | Arrested | |
73. | Naramore, Elizabeth Ann* | March 21 | 1901 | Coldbrook Springs | Massachusetts | 6 |
0
|
M | Found not guilty by reason of insanity | |
74. | Westrope, Mary E. "Mollie", 38* | June 15 | 1902 | Brandywine | Mississippi | 6 |
0
|
F A | Found not guilty by reason of insanity | |
75. | Stephens, Edwin, 35* | May 24 | 1905 | San Rafael | California |
6
|
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
76. | McWilliams, William S., 44* | Nov. 24 | 1905 | Littleton | Iowa | 6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to death | |
77. | Johnson, Ellen C., 36* | Oct. 23 | 1911 | Braddock | North Dakota | 6 |
0
|
A | Perished in the fire | |
78. | Wychopen, John, 40* | April 29/30 | 1916 | Holland | Texas | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
79. | Klocow, Frank, 49* | Sept. 3/4 | 1921 | Ormsby | Minnesota | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
80. | Taylor, Guy M., 35* | Feb. 11/12 | 1927 | Utica | New York | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
81. | Millis, Phillip Noble, 37* | Dec. 12 | 1927 | Hennessey | Oklahoma | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
82. | Pasos, Marie, 35* | Feb. 15 | 1929 | New York City | New York | 6 |
0
|
P | Committed suicide | |
83. | Jackson, George, 35* | Oct. 25 | 1931 | Wagener | South Carolina | 6 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to death | |
84. | Albers, William A., 54* | Jan. 23 | 1936 | Danville | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
85. | Nollen, Elsie, 30* | Aug. 28/29 | 1937 | Denison | Iowa | 6 |
0
|
P | Committed suicide | |
86. | Curtis, Lillie May, 38* | March 16 | 1938 | Center | Texas | 6 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to 495 years in prison | |
87. | Nicosia, Louise, 43* | July 10 | 1940 | New York City | New York | 6 |
0
|
P | Committed suicide | |
88. | Gibson, Esker Washington, 32* | April 24 | 1941 | Irvington | Alabama | 6 |
0
|
MA | Sentenced to death and executed | |
89. | Seipel, Thomas, 31* | Jan. 16 | 1942 | Plum City | Wisconsin | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
90. | Pulliam, Mark, 34* | Nov. 2 | 1942 | Chatsworth | Georgia | 6 |
0 |
MA | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
91. | Dalrymple, Carl, 27* | May 17 | 1943 | Crossville | Alabama | 6 |
0 |
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
92. | Bauer, William Dilworth, 48* | Jan. 28 | 1956 | Parsippany-Troy Hills | New Jersey | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
93. | King, Rufus Allen, 33* | Oct. 2 | 1956 | Clinton | North Carolina | 6 |
0
|
FM | Committed suicide | |
94. | Lewis, Earl H.* | Nov. 7/8 | 1958 | Portsmouth | Virginia | 6 |
0 |
P | Committed suicide | |
95. | Soper, Roland L., 28–29* | March 4/5 | 1959 | Lancaster | Ohio | 6 |
0
|
MP | Committed suicide | |
96. | Pitelka, Charles E., 34* | May 13 | 1961 | Lockport | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
97. | Bauer, Roland Jack, 31* | May 6 | 1962 | Zion | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide | |
98. | Gregor, Elizabeth, 43–44* | June 17 | 1963 | Prospect | Pennsylvania | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
99. | Burgan, James D., 28 | Dec. 3 | 1964 | Detroit | Michigan | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
100. | Sartin, Mary M., 26–27* | Aug. 13 | 1965 | Bay View | Ohio | 6 |
0 |
F | Committed suicide | |
101. | Suarez, Jose Antonio, 22* | April | 1966 | New York City | New York | 6 |
0
|
M | Not prosecuted and set free | |
102. | Bray, Charles Coatney, 40* | Dec. 19 | 1968 | Napa | California | 6 |
0
|
F A | Committed suicide | |
103. | O'Leary, George T., 46* | June 8/9 | 1973 | Boston | Massachusetts | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
104. | DeFeo, Ronald Joseph, 23* | Nov. 13 | 1974 | Amityville | New York | 6 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment Died in prison |
|
105. | Nelson, Simon Peter, 46* | Jan. 7 | 1978 | Rockford | Illinois | 6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to six concurrent prison terms of 100 to 200 years Also killed a dog |
|
106. | Gilbert, Gene, 28* | Jan. 3 | 1981 | Delmar | Iowa | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
107. | Ellis, Ronald Quitman, 34 | May 2 | 1981 | Camp Springs | Maryland | 6 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to five consecutive life terms plus 10 years | |
108. | Day, James Alan, 36* | Oct. 18 | 1984 | Evansville | Indiana | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
109. | Dreesman, Robert, 40* | Dec. 30 | 1987 | Algona | Iowa | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
110. | Shaw, Tracey, 26 | Dec. 23 | 1994 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 6 |
0 |
A | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
111. | Forsyth, Rick Wayne, 42 | June 14 | 1993 | Norwalk | Iowa | 6 |
0
|
F | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
112. | Her, Khoua, 24* | Sept. 3 | 1998 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to 50 years in prison | |
113. | Pangle, Richard Vincent, 37* | Sept. 4 | 2000 | Ava | Ohio | 6 |
0
|
F A | Perished in the fire | |
114. | Soltys, Nikolay Alekseyevich, 27* | Aug. 20 | 2001 | Sacramento | California | 6 |
0
|
M | Committed suicide while awaiting trial | |
115. | Wise, Jesse Dee, 21* | April 8/9 | 2006 | Leola | Pennsylvania | 6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
116. | Isadore, Hersel Michael, 34–35* | Dec. 16 | 2006 | Kansas City | Kansas | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
117. | Lupoe, Ervin Antonio, 40* | Jan. 27 | 2009 | Los Angeles | California | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
118. | Shaffer, Jacob Levi, 30 | July 18 | 2009 |
Fayetteville Huntsville |
Tennessee Alabama |
6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to life imprisonment | |
119. | Damas, Mesac, 33* | Sept. 18 | 2009 | Naples | Florida | 6 |
0
|
M | Sentenced to death | |
120. | Yazdanpanah, Aziz, 56* | Dec. 25 | 2011 | Grapevine | Texas | 6 |
0
|
F | Committed suicide | |
121. | Ray, Larry Don, 66 | March 15 | 2020 | Moncure | North Carolina | 6 |
0 |
F | Committed suicide | |
122. | McFadden, Jesse, 39 | May 1 | 2023 | Henryetta | Oklahoma | 6 |
0 |
F | Committed suicide | |
123. | Mantooth, Chamberlain, 50* | Oct. 13 | 1906 | Newport | Tennessee | 5–7 |
0–2
|
M | Committed suicide |
|
124. | Clark, Harry, 30 | June 24 | 1916 | Osceola | Arkansas | 5–6 |
2–3 |
F | Committed suicide |
Abbreviations and footnotes
* – Marks cases where all the victims were relatives of the perpetrator
W – A basic description of the weapons used in the murders
- F – Firearms and other ranged weapons, especially rifles and handguns, but also bows and crossbows, grenade launchers, flamethrowers, or slingshots
- M – Melee weapons, like knives, swords, spears, machetes, axes, clubs, rods, rocks, or bare hands
- O – Any other weapons, such as bombs, hand grenades, Molotov cocktails, poison and poisonous gas, as well as vehicle and arson attacks
- A – indicates that an arson attack was the only other weapon used
- V – indicates that a vehicle was the only other weapon used
- E – indicates that explosives of any sort were the only other weapon used
- P – indicates that an anaesthetising or deadly substance of any kind was the only other weapon used (includes poisonous gas)