A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which a perpetrator kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, relatives, spouse, siblings, or parents. In half the cases, the killer then kills themselves in a murder-suicide. If only the parents are killed, the case may also be referred to as a parricide. Where all members of a family are killed, the crime may be referred to as family annihilation.
There are various types of familicide:
- Matricide: The killing of the individual's mother.
- Paticide: The killing of the individual's father.
- Filicide: The killing of a child (or children) by one's own parent (or parents)
- Infanticide: The killing of one's child (or children) up to 12 months of age.
- Mariticide: The killing of a husband or significant other; current common law term for either spouse of either sex/gender.
- Uxoricide: The killing of a wife or significant other.