List of mass murders in the United States this year

Three children, ages 8, 9 and 14, and a 21-year-old adult were killed in a shooting at a child’s birthday party in California on Saturday night, the deadliest mass killing in the United States. Eleven people were also injured at the Stockton Banquet Hall.

This is the 17th mass killing in the country this year. The killings are tracked in a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

At least 81 people have died this year in U.S. mass murders, defined as cases in which four or more people die in a 24-hour period, not including a killer — the same definition used by the FBI.

So far this year, 14 out of 17 mass murders (82%) have involved a gun. Of the 3,234 victims of mass murder since 2006, 81% have been shooting victims.

At least 165 people died in at least 38 mass murders last year.

Here’s a look at other American mass murders this year:

St. Helena Island, South Carolina, October 12

Four people have been killed and 15 others injured in a shooting at a bar on St. Helena Island during a high school reunion party. One man was accused of firing the shots and the other man, who was killed, had a disagreement and started shooting at each other, authorities said. Investigators found evidence of a third shooter and they expect more arrests.

Leland, Mississippi, October 10

Seven people have died in a shooting after a high school football game in a Mississippi Delta town. Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting at Leland, but the FBI said it “may have stemmed from a disagreement between several individuals.” At least nine people have been arrested, many of them charged with capital murder.

Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, September 28

A man opened fire at a Michigan church, killing four people and burning the church to the ground. The FBI said the gunman who was killed while responding to law enforcement was motivated by “religious convictions” against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Merlin, Oregon, August 11

Police say two adults and three children are dead in a murder-suicide in southern Oregon. The children were 11, 9 and 7 years old. Police found the body at a home near Grants Pass after one of the victims did not return to work.

Anaconda, Montana, August 1

Four people were shot dead at a bar in a small town about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of Missoula. The person involved in the murder escaped arrest for a week.

Tiptonville, Tennessee, 29 July

The infant’s parents, grandmother and uncle, who were found abandoned in the front yard, were shot in the woods about 40 miles (65 km) away. The man involved in the killing was the boyfriend of the infant’s grandmother’s sister, authorities said.

New York City, 28 July

A gunman has killed four people in a Midtown Manhattan building that houses the headquarters of a finance company and the NFL. Among the victims was an off-duty New York City police officer. The gunman wounded a fifth person before taking his own life.

Talladega, Alabama, July 5

Three men and a woman were shot dead in an apartment. The body was found after police received a call about a missing woman. A friend of the victim has been arrested.

Chicago, July 2

Two men and two women were killed and 14 others injured in a drive-by shooting while leaving an album release party. Police said that the driver fled immediately and no one is under arrest.

Chicago, June 26

Police said a man upset with a friend and his ex-girlfriend set fire to a building that killed four others. The fire was started with petrol and a lighter.

Minneapolis, 29 May

Four people were shot and killed inside a car in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis. A suspect was arrested and charged a few days later.

Perry, Georgia, April 4

Three adults, ages 82, 51 and 37, and a 2-year-old boy were found dead in a mobile home in Perry, a rural town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Macon. Authorities said three of the victims had been stabbed and one had been choked. A man was arrested in May and charged with the murder, authorities said.

Hallandale Beach, Florida: March 26

A man shot and killed his estranged girlfriend and her three children before turning the gun on himself at a South Florida residence, according to local reports. The father-of-two later died in hospital. A fourth child was shot but survived.

Lake Station, Indiana, 21 February

The shooting deaths of a mother and her three daughters, ages 4, 6 and 7, have been ruled a homicide, according to local reports. The woman’s husband was also shot dead and his death has been ruled a suicide.

Byron, Wyoming, February 10

A woman shot and killed her four daughters, ages 2 to 9, according to authorities. Officials said three of the girls died that day and a fourth daughter and mother died later, according to local reports.

New Orleans, January 1

A driver plowed into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans’ French Quarter district around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens, authorities said. The driver, who is an American citizen from Texas, died in a shootout with the police. The FBI called the attack an act of terrorism.