Table 8
Prior police contact for persons accused in mass casualty events between 2018 and 2024, Canada, 2010 to 2024

Table 8
Prior police contact for persons accused in mass casualty events between 2018 and 2024, Canada, 2010 to 2024 Table summary
The information is grouped by Selected characteristic (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
Selected characteristic number percent
Note 0

true zero or a value rounded to zero

Note 1

Refers to individuals who did not have prior contact with the police for a Criminal Code (including traffic) offence, a violation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or Cannabis Act, or other federal statute offence (e.g., Customs Act, Youth Criminal Justice Act) from 2010 to 2024.

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Note 2

Charges were laid or recommended by police for a violent offence from 2010 to 2024. Violent offences involve violations against the person, including criminal harassment, uttering threats, assault, sexual assault, other sexual offences and offences in relation to sexual services, robbery, attempted murder and homicide.

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Note 3

Charges were laid or recommended by police for a property offence from 2010 to 2024. Property offences are defined as violations against property, which include, for example, break and enter, theft over $5,000, theft under $5,000, fraud and mischief.

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Note 4

Charges were laid or recommended by police for another Criminal Code (including traffic) offence, violation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or Cannabis Act, or other federal statute offence (e.g., Customs Act, Youth Criminal Justice Act) from 2010 to 2024.

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Note 5

Escalation of violence is measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which measures the relative severity of a crime. Since CSI weights are updated periodically, all CSI values in this analysis have been calculated using the most recent weight index. CSI values are based on the most serious violation in the incident.

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Note 6

Refers to the earliest contact with police (based on the date of the incident) for persons accused of a Criminal Code (including traffic) offence, a violation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or Cannabis Act, or other federal statute offence (e.g., Customs Act, Youth Criminal Justice Act) between 2010 and 2024. If there was more than one contact with police on the same date, the incident with the highest CSI weight was selected.

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Note 7

The mass casualty event had the same CSI weight as the earliest contact with police.

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Note 8

The mass casualty event had a lower CSI weight than the earliest contact with police.

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Note 9

The mass casualty event had a higher CSI weight than the earliest contact with police.

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Note 10

Based on the most serious prior contact with police (as measured by the CSI) from 2010 to 2024.

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Note 11

The mass casualty event had the same weight as the most serious prior contact with police.

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Note 12

The mass casualty event had a lower CSI weight than the most serious prior contact with police.

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Note 13

The mass casualty event had a higher CSI weight than the most serious prior contact with police.

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Note: Mass casualty events refer to violent incidents where four or more victims sustained physical injury or died. Excludes criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death. Includes individuals who were accused of committing a mass casualty event between 2018 and 2024. If an individual was accused of more than one mass casualty event, the mass casualty event with the highest CSI was used. Accused persons may have had additional contacts with police before 2010, or may have come into contact with police for other reasons (e.g., as a victim or witness of crime). Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (Trend Database).
Number of prior contacts with police  
No prior contact Table 8 Note 1 786 23.5
One prior contact 348 10.4
Two to five prior contacts 675 20.2
Six or more prior contacts 1,533 45.9
Charges laid or recommended for a prior violent offence Table 8 Note 2  
Yes 1,923 88.1
No 259 11.9
Charges laid or recommended for a prior property offence Table 8 Note 3  
Yes 1,290 71.6
No 512 28.4
Charges laid or recommended for another prior offence Table 8 Note 4  
Yes 1,696 86.9
No 256 13.1
Escalation of violence Table 8 Note 5  
First prior contact with police Table 8 Note 6  
Same severity Table 8 Note 7 239 9.4
Less severe Table 8 Note 8 599 23.4
More severe Table 8 Note 9 1,718 67.2
Violent offence  
Same severity Table 8 Note 7 239 21.5
Less severe Table 8 Note 8 232 20.9
More severe Table 8 Note 9 640 57.6
Property offence  
Same severity Table 8 Note 7 0 0.0
Less severe Table 8 Note 8 244 30.0
More severe Table 8 Note 9 570 70.0
Other offence  
Same severity Table 8 Note 7 0 0.0
Less severe Table 8 Note 8 123 19.5
More severe Table 8 Note 9 508 80.5
Most serious prior contact with police Table 8 Note 10  
Same severity Table 8 Note 11 320 12.5
Less severe Table 8 Note 12 1,373 53.7
More severe Table 8 Note 13 863 33.8
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