Nation endures 351 mass killings in six months
Wanton gun violence continues to be a major issue in the United States So far this year, there have been 351 mass killings according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The Gun Violence Archive tracked more than 647 mass shootings in 2022 and 690 in 2021. July 4th is the riskiest day for mass shootings in the US calendar.
Over the July 4 holiday, a heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering to the police. Three people were gunned down and eight wounded in Fort Worth, Texas.
In Chicago, five people were killed and at least 33 wounded in a rash of shootings across the city–just one year after a shooter took seven lives at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, near Chicago. Also, police in Kansas on July 4 said 11 people were hurt over the weekend when a gunman opened fire inside a Wichita nightclub.
President Biden issued a statement from Camp David, “Our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.”
Philadelphia was the country’s 29th mass killing in 2023 according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
