More Than 150 People Were Shot and Killed Over Fourth of July Weekend

More than 400 shootings occurred across the country over the holiday weekend, resulting in more than 150 deaths, according to the Gun Violence Archive. CNN noted that several mass shootings occurred, which the network defines as “an incident with four or more people killed or wounded by gunfire, excluding the shooter.” According to the network, there have been 336 mass shootings this year.

In Chicago alone, 16 were shot and killed between Friday evening and Monday evening, when there were 89 shootings across the city. One of those killed was a member of the Illinois Army National Guard. Two police officers in the city were injured after a suspect opened fire as they attempted to disperse a crowd. They are expected to survive.

In New York, 26 people were shot in 21 shootings between Friday and Sunday, which represents a slight decrease in gun violence over the same time period last year when 30 people were shot.

Over the first five months of 2021, more than 8,100 people were killed by gunfire, or about 54 people per day. As The Washington Post pointed out, on average that’s about 14 more deaths per day over the same time period for the previous six years.

On Friday four children, including a six-year-old girl, were shot in Norfolk, Virginia. Police say they have arrested a 15-year-old suspect in the shooting.

Rising violence in cities has become a political lightning rod, as Republicans blame Democratic-run municipalities for allegedly having soft policies on crime, while Democrats have said that incidents involving guns simply underscore the need for gun control.

The United States accounts for 73% of all global homicides by firearm, according to the BBC. It is estimated that there are more than 390 million guns in the U.S., whose population is about 330 million. That’s just more than 120 guns per 100 residents. Seven of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. have occurred within the last 10 years.

Watch above via CNN.