⚠️This fact has been debunked
Cannot be verified with available statistics. Data primarily tracks victim deaths (approximately 2,000 annually in the U.S.), not robber deaths. The claim may conflate bank robberies (where perpetrators are indeed more likely to die, usually in police encounters) with all robberies.
The people most often killed in robberies are the robbers.
Are Robbers Really the Ones Most Likely to Die?
You've probably heard the claim: robbers are more likely to die during robberies than their victims. It sounds darkly ironic—crime doesn't pay, and sometimes it kills you. But when you dig into the actual statistics, this "fact" falls apart.
The reality is that robbery statistics primarily track victim deaths, not perpetrator deaths. In the United States, approximately 2,000 robbery victims are killed each year. About 30% of all robbery victims suffer injuries, and roughly one-third of those injuries are serious enough to require hospitalization.
The Bank Robbery Exception
There's one narrow context where this claim holds water: bank robberies. For the first time in FBI record-keeping history, 2023 saw zero deaths during bank robberies—no customers, no employees, and no robbers. But historically, when deaths did occur in bank robberies, the majority were perpetrators killed during police response or subsequent pursuits.
This makes sense. Banks have security protocols, silent alarms, and rapid police response. Bank robbers face professional law enforcement, not surprised victims.
The Bigger Picture
For robberies generally—street muggings, home invasions, convenience store holdups—the data doesn't support the claim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics and FBI Uniform Crime Reports focus on tracking:
- Victim injury and death rates
- Weapon use during robberies
- Robbery lethality ratios (homicides per 1,000 robberies)
- Victim demographics and circumstances
What's conspicuously absent? Comprehensive tracking of how many robbers die during the commission of their crimes.
Why the Myth Persists
The idea probably persists because of availability bias—when a robbery goes wrong and the perpetrator is killed, it's newsworthy. Armed citizen shoots home invader. Store clerk defends against armed robber. These stories stick in our minds.
Robbery lethality has actually increased dramatically. From 1994 to 2020, the robbery lethality ratio jumped from 16 homicides per 1,000 robberies to 55.8—a threefold increase. But these statistics measure victim deaths, not perpetrator deaths.
The claim conflates dramatic exceptions (bank robberies, police shootouts) with the statistical norm. In the vast majority of robberies, victims face far greater risk of death than perpetrators.