'Way too many guns': experts link firearm access to rise in US family killings

The United States has seen a sharp rise this year in so-called family annihilation or familicide cases, in which an assailant kills four or more relatives, often followed by suicide. According to data from Northeastern University, at least 17 such incidents have occurred in 2026, compared with just six last year — the lowest figure in at least two decades.

Recent cases include one this week in Texas, where a shooter killed four adults in a family that had taken him in, and one last month in Montana, where a man killed eight relatives, including four children, at a Sunday dinner after his parents had asked him to move out. In June, in Iowa, a man shot and killed his wife and five other family members before killing himself.

Experts say these crimes are often triggered by family estrangement, financial stress, or marital disputes, but the critical factor in the US is easy firearm access. Johns Hopkins nursing professor Jacquelyn Campbell notes that guns are frequently grabbed in moments of rage, while Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes points to relationship breakdowns, including recent divorce or separation, as the most common trigger.

Research shows that when a domestic abuser has access to a gun, a victim's risk of being killed increases fivefold. In 2023, the US recorded 2.6 intentional homicides per 1,000 women, compared with 0.7 in the UK, which has stricter gun laws.

Twenty-two US states currently have red flag laws allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. However, six Republican-led states have banned such laws, with three more considering doing so. A study published in Jama Health Forum found that red flag laws reduced firearm suicides by an average of 3.79 per 100,000 people.

Psychologist Doreen Dodgen-Magee, whose sister-in-law and three nieces were killed by her brother-in-law decades ago, argues such tragedies affect every community and could be prevented through stricter gun safety measures, including background checks and protective orders.