Concealed carry permit holders are supposed to be the “good guys” with guns. In reality, far too many permit holders are a direct threat to public safety.
Concealed Carry Killers is a resource maintained by the Violence Policy Center that includes hundreds of examples of non-self defense killings by private citizens with permits to carry concealed, loaded handguns in public that took place since May 2007. These incidents include homicides, suicides, mass shootings, murder-suicides, lethal attacks on law enforcement, and unintentional deaths. Only a tiny fraction of these cases are ever ruled to be in self-defense. Any homicide that is legally determined to be in self-defense is documented and removed from the Concealed Carry Killers database and the ongoing tallies.
Spotlight: Mass shooting in New York
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 On July 28, 2025, concealed handgun permit holder Shane Tamura, 27, shot and killed four people at a Manhattan office building before turning the gun on himself. According to news reports, Tamura shot and killed three people in the lobby of the office building on Park Avenue, rode an elevator to the 33rd floor, and killed another person there before taking his own life. The office building is home to the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL). A note was found on Tamura’s body which claimed that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and accused the NFL of hiding the dangers of brain injuries. According to authorities, Tamura had a history of mental illness and was arrested in 2023 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge at a Las Vegas casino. Those charges were later dismissed. A suicide note was found at Tamura’s Las Vegas apartment that said he felt his parents were disappointed in him, and he apologized to his mother. Read more… |
These incidents are only examples. There is no comprehensive federal database of concealed carry incidents, and some states even bar the release of such information by law. As a result, the examples in Concealed Carry Killers are taken primarily from news reports and from the reporting required in a few states. These examples represent an unknown fraction of similar incidents that routinely occur across the nation.
Currently, Concealed Carry Killers documents 3,094 incidents in 40 states and the District of Columbia resulting in 3,365 deaths. In 96 percent of the incidents (2,984) the concealed carry killer died by suicide (2,185), has already been convicted (708), perpetrated a murder-suicide (67), or was killed in the incident (24). Of the 70 cases still pending, the vast majority (54) of concealed carry killers have been charged with criminal homicide, five were deemed incompetent to stand trial, and 11 incidents are still under investigation. An additional 40 incidents were fatal unintentional shootings involving the gun of the concealed handgun permit holder. Twenty-four of the victims were law enforcement officers. Thirty-nine of the incidents were mass shootings, resulting in the deaths of 190 victims.
More than just numbers, Concealed Carry Killers provides detailed accounts of lethal incidents involving concealed handgun permit holders. Whenever possible, this includes the names of the killers and victims, the legal status of the cases, and the circumstances of the incidents. To find out more, click on the numbers on the left-hand side to view nationwide information, and see the map above to view the incidents by state.
Last updated August 20, 2026