Murderer in the United States

Mass Murderer Profiling in relation to Crime and Race

Mass Murderer Profiling is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: Mass murder refers to the slaying of a number of people at the same time, within the same event. This distinguishes mass murderers from serial killers, who murder a number of people over an extended period (perhaps months or years). Mass murder is also distinct from spree killing. Spree killers slay a number of people over a short period of time in a connected but separate series of events. Serial killers also tend to actively evade detection by law enforcement to operate over time, whereas mass murderers often die at the hands of police or by suicide during or immediately after the commission of the crime. Some scholars hold that mass murder should apply to the slaying of four or more people; others disagree and assert that two or three could also be considered mass murder. Scholars also differ on the motivation and profile of the mass murderer.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Entry about Mass Murderer Profiling in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime

See Also