Multicide is a noun that refers to the act or instance of killing multiple individuals, often simultaneously or within a short period of time. The term is derived from the Latin roots "multi," meaning many, and "cide," meaning kill. Multicide is a broad term encompassing diverse incidents involving the intentional killing of multiple victims.
Multicide can take various forms and occur in different settings. It may involve mass murder, where a single individual systematically and indiscriminately kills a large number of people in a single location. Examples of mass murder include school shootings or terrorist attacks targeting crowded public spaces.
Multicide can also refer to serial killers, who engage in a series of separate murders over a longer period, with a cooling-off period in between each crime. Serial killers are motivated by their psychological desires or compulsion to commit multiple murders.
Furthermore, multicide can entail spree killings, which involve the random or planned killing of multiple individuals in multiple locations within a short timeframe. Spree killers may move from one location to another, leaving a trail of victims as they travel.
The term multicide is mainly used in criminology and psychology to describe and categorize acts of multiple killings. It helps to differentiate such incidents from other types of homicide, which involve the killing of a single individual or involve different circumstances, motivations, or patterns.
