This is an incomplete list of mass stabbings in the United States. A mass stabbing is a single incident in which multiple victims are harmed or killed in a knife-enabled crime. In such attacks, sharp objects are thrust at the victim, piercing through the skin and harming the victim. Examples of sharp instruments used in mass stabbings may include kitchen knives, utility knives, sheath knives, scissors, Katanas, hammers, screwdrivers, icepicks, bayonets, axes, machetes and glass bottles. Knife crime poses security threats to many countries around the world.
A mass stabbing can be defined from a number of different perspectives. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb 'stab' as an action that propels a pointed weapon with the intention of harm or murder. A mass stabbing is an incident involving the use of pointed weapons to wound or kill multiple people. Mass stabbings can also be looked at from the scope of knife crime. Based on a publication by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, 'knife-enabled crime' is an incident where harm is threatened or caused with the use of bladed weapons. The media also refers to 'knife crime' as a stabbing incident or the illegal possession of knives by a person in the public.
From a legal perspective, the phrase mass killing can be used to define a mass stabbing. Based on section 2 of the Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012 of the United States of America, which was signed into law and published by the US Congress on 13 January 2013, 'mass killing' is an individual occasion with three or more people murdered. Mass stabbings can also be looked at from the perspective of mass murder. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America has defined mass murder as an incident where four or more people are killed in a single incident on a continuing basis without any significant time period in between each of the murders.
High-profile crimes in the United States in which multiple people were stabbed are listed here. According to a database published by USA Today, as of March 5, 2024, 44 mass murders in the United States since 2006 involved a knife, and 44 involved another sharp object.
21st century
2020s
DateLocationDeadInjuredTotalDescriptionSeptember 12, 2026Houma, Louisiana415A man stabbed people inside several homes, killing four and injuring a child.August 19, 2026Placer County, California055A man stabbed five of his coworkers at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort.August 1, 2026Gilbert, Arizona314Three people were stabbed inside a home before police fatally shot the perpetrator.May 6, 2026Richardson, Texas145A man stabbed four people in a restaurant after threatening to harm people. Responding police fatally shot the suspect.February 24, 2026Key Peninsula, Washington5Including the perpetrator05A 32-year-old man fatally stabbed four people at a home in Key Peninsula, Washington, before being fatally shot by a deputy responding to a call regarding the man violating a no-contact order at the home.February 21, 2026Woodbridge, Virginia415Ziyi Lu, stabs her 2-year-old child, her husband, and her mother-in-law to death while injuring her father-in-law. She committed suicide after the attack.July 26, 2025Traverse City, Michigan011112025 Traverse City stabbing: Eleven people were injured in a stabbing attack in a Walmart store.March 27, 2024Rockford, Illinois47112024 Rockford stabbings: Four people were killed and seven were injured.March 10, 2024Mānoa, Hawaii5052024 Mānoa murders: Paris Oda stabbed to death his 3 children and wife before committing suicide.July 2, 2023Green Pond, South Carolina606What is being called the “Green Pond massacre” a man is accused of stabbing six people to death.November 30, 2022Buffalo Grove, Illinois505Andrei Kisliak, stabs his family to death before committing suicide.November 13, 2022Moscow, Idaho4042022 University of Idaho killings: Four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death with a knife or knives in a rented off-campus residence.October 6, 2022Las Vegas, Nevada2682022 Las Vegas Strip stabbings: Eight people were stabbed, two fatally, with a chef's knife on a sidewalk in front of the Wynn Casino.September 4, 2022Phoenix, Arizona404Richard Wilson stabs his parents, sister, and niece to death. He is sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.August 22, 2022Stewartstown, Pennsylvania224A mother and daughter were stabbed to death and two others were injured at a residence in Hopewell Township.July 30, 2022Somerset, Wisconsin145One person died and four others were injured after being stabbed in their midsections while tubing on the Apple River.June 24, 2022Paulding County, Georgia 347A woman stabs three of her children fatally and injures her other four.June 2, 2021Fort Wayne, Indiana 404Cohen Hancz-Barron stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her three children to death. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.July 17, 2020Arvada, Colorado2Including the perpetrator35A man entered a strip club with a knife and stabbed four people, killing an employee before an armed security guard shot him to death.April 7, 2020Knoxville County, Tennessee4152020 Knox County stabbing: A man stabbed four women with a knife, three fatally, at a truck stop before being shot to death by a responding police officer.January 13, 2020Colorado Springs, Colorado088The stabber injured two people near the intersection of Tejon and Boulder streets before fleeing on the walking trails of the America the Beautiful Park. As police pursued the suspect, they found several more victims throughout the park. More people were stabbed at a third location before police apprehended a suspect.
2010s DateLocationDeadInjuredTotalDescriptionDecember 28, 2019Ramapo, New York145Monsey Hanukkah stabbing: A masked man broke into a home of a Hasidic Rabbi where a Hanukkah party was being held and stabbed five guests, mortally wounding one.June 30, 2018Boise, Idaho1892018 Boise stabbing: A homeless man stabbed nine people at a birthday party outside of an apartment complex, killing a 3-year-old girl and injuring eight others. The perpetrator was sentenced to two life prison terms plus 120 years for the attack.May 26, 2017Portland, Oregon2132017 Portland train attack: A man stabbed two people to death and injured a third on a MAX Light Rail train after being confronted for shouting anti-Muslim remarks.November 28, 2016Columbus, Ohio11314Ohio State University attack: After driving into a crowd of pedestrians in his car, a lone-wolf Islamic terrorist grabbed a butcher knife and stabbed several people before being shot and killed by a police officer.November 15, 2016Orem, Utah066A 16-year-old attacked students at random with knives and a martial arts stick at Mountain View High School before being tasered and attempting to commit suicide by stabbing.September 16, 2016St. Cloud, Minnesota110112016 St. Cloud, Minnesota knife attack: A man armed with two steak knives stabbed ten people at the Crossroads Center shopping mall before he was shot to death by an off-duty police officer.July 1, 2016Memphis, Tennessee415Shanythia Gardner stabbed her 5 children, one survived while the other 4 died. She was later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.June 26, 2016Sacramento, California010Seven from stabbing102016 Sacramento riot: Members of the Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP) and Golden State Skinheads rallied outside of the California State Capitol. Counter-protesters from Antifa and BAMN – armed with wooden bats, sticks, fireworks, and other weapons – confronted the other protesters. Violence ensued, resulting in ten people being hospitalized for stabbing and laceration wounds. Four people, three Antifa members and one TWP member, were arrested in connection to the riot.May 10, 2016Taunton, Massachusetts3252016 Silver City Galleria attack: A mentally ill man broke into a house and stabbed two people, killing one. He then stole a car and crashed it into the Silver City Galleria mall, where he proceeded to stab two more people at a Bertucci's restaurant, one fatally, and assaulted three more people before being shot to death by an off-duty sheriff's deputy.February 11, 2016Columbus, Ohio1452016 Ohio restaurant machete attack: A man stabbed four people at a restaurant with a machete. After fleeing the scene in a car, police officers performed a PIT maneuver, causing him to crash. He was then shot dead by police officers after lunging at them with the machete and a filet knife.February 2, 2016Chicago, Illinois6One by gunfire06Gage Park murders: Five family members were stabbed and a sixth was shot at their home by a man and his girlfriend during a botched robbery.November 4, 2015Merced, California145University of California, Merced stabbing attack: A lone-wolf Islamic terrorist stabbed four people with a hunting knife before being shot to death by two police officers.July 22, 2015Broken Arrow, Oklahoma516Broken Arrow killings: Two brothers stabbed five members of their family to death with knives at their house and attempted to kill their younger sister.May 23, 2014Isla Vista, California7Three by stabbing; four by gunfire, including the perpetrator14Seven by gunfire, seven by vehicular assault212014 Isla Vista killings: A misogynistic man fatally stabbed three men in his apartment before he shot 11 people, four fatally, and struck seven others with his car before shooting himself to death.May 20, 2014Torrance, California303Carol Coronado stabbed her three daughters to death, and was later found guilty and convicted. She was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole.April 9, 2014Murrysville, Pennsylvania02222Franklin Regional High School stabbing: A 16-year-old student stabbed 20 students and a security guard in a hallway before classes began.October 26, 2013Brooklyn, New York505Murder of the Zhuo family: A man murdered his cousin and her children at their home by stabbing them in their necks with a butcher knife.September 4, 2013Spring, Texas134Spring High School stabbing: A 17-year-old student stabbed four people, one fatally, with a pocket knife during a fight in one of the school's hallways before being arrested.April 9, 2013Cypress, Texas01414Lone Star College–CyFair stabbings: A 20-year-old student entered multiple classrooms and stabbed 14 people with an x-acto knife and scalpel before he was incapacitated by multiple students.February 11–12, 2011New York City, New York459Maksim Gelman stabbing spree: A man stabbed his step-father to death following an argument before fleeing in his step fathers vehicle. He proceeded to stab eight more people until he was incapacitated by a would-be victim and arrested once police arrived.
2000s