DH and my brother tell me that it's completly normal behavior for a boy but it still gives me chills everytime I hear it. I wouldn't worry just yet but I would try to look at where he is getting all the "killing" talk from and if this doesn't change as he ages and understands more, I would consider a kiddie therapist for him so that he can get to the root of what causes this. Currently, I think because he's smiling as he says it, he's probably just seen a few too many violent cartoons or heard it in daycare, swim class, tumbling, etc...

At that age they are incapable of actually understand what killing means. I would be concerned about a child so young being exposed to the idea of killing and violence. Where is he being exposed to this?

He's obviously hearing this somewhere... daycare? Television? Video games? Older sibling?

Yikes. Maybe this is coming from TV? I don't think two or three year olds have grasped the concept of death yet. I think that happens more around five or six, so it's likely ( hopefully) that he does not understand fully what killing means. It may be a fascinating concept he may be trying to grasp. I don't blame you for being concerned ,at all!
maybe instead of telling him that killing is not nice ( which is valid bit he may not get that yet) you could talk to him about life and death??? Maybe watch documentaries with animals that die and animals that get killed, and try and go from there?
Maybe just no Tv for a while.

Sounds like he is being exposed to something he shouldn't....violent TV/movies most likely.

My 3 yo nephew is allowed to watch Michael Myers, Jason Voorhee's, The Leprechaun, and Child's Play horror movies. He talks about them all of the time. He thinks they are great. He is also allowed to swear. His mom (my niece) sucks as a parent and his dad is a drug dealer in prison.

Your SS is most likely allowed to watch or see some kind of content or be around some kind of person that talks about these things in a cavalear or even positive way. He thinks it's cool, funny, etc.

I doubt he really means you any harm and might actually even expect you to laugh at his comments. Keep responding negatively and I would find out who/what he is being exposed to at BM's. If she wont tell you maybe a CPS call is warranted. I guess that depends on your judgement and how bad/inappropriate it is affecting his behavior and if you think any long term damage is being done.

Kids seem to be bonbarded with voilence now. I only allow educational programming in my home but yesterday I took DS to the Dr.'s office and they had a channel that's not allowed in our home due to the voilent cartoons played on it, playing in the waiting are and in all the rooms. I was appalled. My son like your SS is too young to understand it but kids are trying to learn at that age...my son spent hours swatting at me after just 30 minutes of exposure to this "funny" behavior.

In fairness, I was pretty strict on my BS's at that age - they weren't even allowed to watch Power Rangers or Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles. They still ran around playing with make believe swords/guns/spears, defending their forts and "killing" each other. At 2/3 they really don't understand what death or killing is. My niece was totally obsessed with death until she was 5. I think it's a stage most kids go through.

My DH thought it would be great to watch Iron Man with DS when he was 2 1/2. He became totally obsessed with fighting and guns and all that kind of stuff. DH let him watch all the super hero movies and Star Wars. He was starting to get a little physical with me and I finally looked at DH and said it stops now. No more real life movies - cartoons only. I even asked my day care (he's at an inhome) if she could stop allowing certain cartoons - I also spoke with the other mom whose son is the same age and she asked as well. that has helped a bunch. We tape all his favorite cartoons so there is always something to watch.
Now I think he's right where he should be - he still likes to act all big boy but the violence lean to it all seems to be gone.

I used to have some friends in my hometown who had a son who was totally violent at age 3-4. This kid was obsessed with fighting, guns, hitting people and just acted like a little psychopath in general. I remember his mom telling me that she thought he had ADHD and a list of other diagnoses and was going to see about getting him on medications.

Then one day I was in town visiting them and saw that they let him watch every single R rated violent film that they like watching. During these movies he would run all over like a terror fighting a shooting and mimicking the movie. I was like "hmmm I wonder where your kid gets it?"....DUH! And here they were wanting to medicate him and couldn't figure out why he was so violent. Idiots.

Kids that age are not naturally like that and wouldn't even know what death was unless they are seeing it somewhere. He is being exposed to something where he is learning it from.

That's how my SS5 was when he was that age. But I blame BM she played Halo in front of him BM is in a clan for girl gamers not going to name the clan for I don't want BM or anyone to know who I am. At that time he didn't know how to talk just a shooting noise. He still does that to this day always plays violent or reenact the game Halo/ halo reach or the Pirates of the Caribbean , call of duty all these game are for mature 17+ that he plays now SS5 talks about playing it.DH can not stop what goes on over there but I don't think its good to expose them to that at that age.

Not abnormal IMHO but worth keeping an eye on.

I have never had a young child throw the "I am going to kill you" in my direction. I have had an adult do it though.

I used to employ people from a group home when I owned restaurants. These were adults with developmental disabilities often with the functional capability of someone in the 12-15yo range. They did a great job as buss staff, dishwashing, cleaning, prepping food, etc.....

I had one man who was in his mid 40's who was a very cheerful guy who would come to my office when the group home van would drop him off for work. He would walk in, shake my hand, say Hello Rags, I am going to kill you." On his break he would play at the break table with action figures or small cars. His play was a lot of shooting and crashing.

I never felt threatened by him but I always kept an eye on him to make sure he was focusing on his work and not getting out of hand with any other of the staff or customers.

Sadly, I do not recall his name these 20+ years later.

If I had to hazard a guess on your SS-2 I would say that he is playing shoot-em-up games at BMs.

I don't think that that is normal at all. My SD is 3 and last yr she looked me dead in the eye and told me that "daddy(my DH) hates you" (charming isn't she?) I do think tho that they aren't necessarily coming up with it all on their own, but that someone is definitely putting the ideas in their heads and they are just running with it from there.