Only the mainstream media could look at a two-year, 44 percent decline in mass killings and somehow find a way to turn it into a warning siren. On December 2, 2025, the Associated Press ran a story pointing out that mass killings have fallen dramatically — the lowest numbers since 2006 — and yet insisted we shouldn’t get too comfortable. Because of course they did.
The AP cited data from a database managed by Northeastern University’s James Alan Fox, showing that mass killings were down about 24 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, which itself was down roughly 20 percent from 2023. In other words, things have been steadily improving. Naturally, the headline takeaway was still: Be afraid.
Fox himself issued a gloomy prediction, warning that the decrease may not last. Quoting Newton’s “what goes up must come down,” he added his own twist: “What goes down must also go back up.” Apparently gravity now applies to crime statistics — who knew?
Metropolitan State University’s James Densley also chimed in, explaining that because mass killings are relatively few in number, even a small change can look like a major shift. He acknowledged that 2025 “looks really good in historical context,” but insisted this doesn’t mean the problem is gone. Translation: even good news must be padded with caution, especially when the media is involved.
Then came Florida State University’s Emma Fridel, who shifted the conversation to firearm-related deaths overall, describing the numbers as “staggering” and comparing annual gun deaths to casualties in the Korean War. One small problem: her comparison doesn’t quite hold up. The Korean War saw more than 54,000 American casualties, while the highest annual firearm-related death figure recorded in the U.S. is 48,830 — still tragic, but not the same thing.
Fridel also repeated the widely debunked claim that guns are the number one cause of death for children — a line often pushed by the Biden administration, Kamala Harris, and Hollywood activists. As Breitbart News has repeatedly shown, this only works if you redefine “children” to include 18- and 19-year-olds, who happen to be old enough to vote, enlist, and legally be considered adults. But why let definitions get in the way of a narrative?
And that’s the pattern: even when the numbers improve, the media can’t help but search for the shadow behind the sunshine.
Still, here’s what matters — the trend is going in the right direction, no matter how many experts try to rain on the parade. And good news, even when reluctantly reported, is still good news.
