Unfortunately, the United States, as well as the whole world, has recently had to deal with the shock of yet another appalling act of hate and terror. The event that took place in Orlando, Florida this past Sunday proved to be the United States’ deadliest mass shooting in its history and the nation´s worst terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. In the attack that took place at Pulse gay nightclub at about 2 AM, an American-born man of Afghan descent, who pledged allegiance to ISIS during the shooting, gunned down at least 49 people and injured more than 50 others. The attack, now known as the Orlando Nightclub Shooting, was labeled by the Orlando chief of police and Orange County sheriff as an act of “lone wolf” domestic terrorism. Ironically, the perpetrator of this gruesome attack was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 and 2014 and was not found to be a threat. Saddened and shocked by this heartbreaking event, we decided to compile a list looking at the deadliest mass shootings in US history. From the infamous Aurora Shooting to the latest devastating rampage in Orlando, these are the 10 Deadliest Mass Shootings In US History. Let us hope that by remembering these tragic events, we are not doomed to see more of them in the future.
We realize that many of these unfortunate events have happened recently. Many people are still reeling from the shooting in Orlando. From our families to yours, we send out our sympathy, prayers, and support to the victims and their families and friends.
10
Charleston Church Shooting (death toll: 9)
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
The Charleston Church Shooting took place at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015. Nine people were killed by a gunman during a prayer service. After the attack, police arrested 21-year-old Dylann Roof who later confessed that he committed the shooting in hopes of igniting a race war.
9
Umpqua Community College Shooting (death toll: 9)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
The Umpqua Community College Shooting occurred on October 1, 2015 at the UCC campus near Roseburg, Oregon. Christopher Harper-Mercer, a 26-year-old enrolled at the school, shot and killed an assistant professor and 8 students in a classroom. Up to 9 others were injured. After a brief shootout with the police, Harper-Mercer was wounded and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
8
Red Lake Shootings (death toll: 9)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: pixabay.com
The Red Lake Shootings occurred in two places in Red Lake, Minnesota on March 21, 2005. That morning, 16-year-old Jeffrey Weise killed his grandfather (a local police officer) and his grandfather’s girlfriend at their home. After taking his grandfather’s police weapons, he drove to Red Lake Senior High School, where he shot and killed 7 people and wounded 5 others. After the police arrived, Weise committed suicide in a vacant classroom.
7
Geneva County Massacre (death toll: 10)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: pixabay.com
The deadliest shooting event in Alabama history, the Geneva County Massacre occurred in two Alabama counties: Kinston and Coffee County on March 10, 2009. In the incident, 10 people were killed by 28-year-old Michael Kenneth McLendon. Five of his victims were family members including his mother and two children. After engaging in an exchange of fire with police, McLendon committed suicide.
6
Palm Sunday Massacre (death toll: 10)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: pixabay.com
The Palm Sunday Massacre was a mass shooting incident that occurred in Brooklyn, New York in 1984. In the attack, sole perpetrator Christopher Thomas killed ten people: three women, a teenage girl, and six children. All of the victims were shot from close range, most in the head, and were found in relaxed poses sitting in couches and chairs, suggesting that they had been taken by surprise.
5
Jacksonville Massacre (death toll: 11)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: pixabay.com
On June 18, 1990, James Edward Pough killed nine people and wounded four others in a General Motors Acceptance Corporation car loan office in Jacksonville, Florida. The day before, he also killed a prostitute and her pimp, wounded two teenagers, and robbed a convenience store.
4
Fairfield Massacre (death toll: 11)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
The oldest mass shooting incident on the list, the Fairfield Massacre dates back to August 22, 1928 when Leung Ying, aged 29, killed 11 people and wounded another 4 on a farm near Fairfield, Solano County, California. Ying was arrested by police the next day and sentenced to death a few days later. Ying committed suicide in his prison cell on October 22, about two weeks before his set execution date.
3
Easter Sunday Massacre (death toll: 11)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: pixabay.com
On Easter Sunday on March 30, 1975, James Urban Ruppert, armed with two handguns and a rifle, shot and killed 11 family members in his mother’s house at 635 Minor Avenue in Hamilton, Ohio. The killing spree, known as the Easter Sunday Massacre, is the deadliest mass shooting inside a private residence in US history. Ruppert has been serving two life sentences at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio.
2
Aurora Shooting (death toll: 12)
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: flickr.com
The Aurora Shooting occurred on July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado when sole gunman James Holmes shot into the movie theater’s audience during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. In the attack, Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others. In 2015, he was given 12 life sentences, one for every person he killed, and 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded.
1
Washington Navy Yard Shooting (death toll: 12)
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
The second-deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. military base behind the Fort Hood Shooting (No. 13 on the list), the Washington Navy Yard Shooting took place on September 16, 2013, when lone gunman Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people and injured three others. The shocking event took place at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command inside the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C.
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