The tragic murder-suicide in Syosset on Sunday highlighted a growing problem that experts say is getting worse.

According to the Violence Policy Center, 10 murder-suicides happen every week across the U.S. and 78% occur in the home.

“Murder-suicides are far more common than anyone thinks,” said Dr. Jeff Reynolds, president of the Family & Children’s Association. “And every time it happens, we’re just a little bit more shocked.”

Team 12 Investigates analyzed data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) to get a closer look at how shockingly common murder-suicide events are becoming. GVA is a nonprofit organization that catalogs nearly every incident of gun violence in the country.

There have been 443 murder-suicides nationwide in 2024, according to GVA data, and the murder-suicide in Syosset was New York’s 14th murder-suicide so far this year.

These numbers are prompting victim advocates to warn about an increase of families in crisis and how sometimes they turn violent.

The Safe Center LI told Team 12 Investigates that the need for services is critical, as they saw an increase of nearly 1,000 more people in need of their help last year.

“I think life is stressful for everybody,” said Lorraine DiFiglia, director of education & learning for the Safe Center LI. “Our day-to-day experiences, our society, having families—I think the stress of everyday life impacts people differently. I think there is some shame associated with asking for help and getting help.”

Nassau County police said the suspect in Syosset killed his family with a shotgun. According to data from the FBI, shotguns are used in 1% of gun deaths. In New York, no permit or license is required to buy one.

“You have a deadly combination when you have folks who are struggling—folks with mental health issues, they can’t get treatment, you have easy access to guns—and here we are today,” said Dr. Reynolds. “That’s a really important conversation. I don’t think anyone believes that every single gun should be off the street and out of the community, but we have to have a rational discussion about when, where, who and how.”

Police urge communities to call them whenever they are worried about an individual. They stressed the importance of reporting a concern, whether something criminal occurred or not, so they can be aware of potential problems.