At least TWO DOZEN people are killed and 90 more are injured in spasm of gun violence across the US over the weekend
- The first weekend of June saw a total of 10 mass shootings across the country
- Some of the bloodier shootings occurred in Philadelphia, where three people were shot dead and 11 others were injured on a popular tourist street
- In Chattanooga, Tennessee a gunman fired into bargoers
- Other shootings over the weekend in South Carolina, Texas and Virginia terrorized people celebrating recent graduations
- Shootings also occurred in some large cities like New York and Chicago
- Federal officials are now pushing further gun control measures, like red flag laws and background checks
At least two dozen people were killed and nearly 100 more were injured across the US amid another wave of weekend gun violence, as the nation is still reeling from tragedies in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
The first weekend of June saw a total of 10 mass shootings, killing at least 16 people and injuring 58, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country.
The archive defines mass shootings as an incident where at least four people, not including the shooter or shooters, are shot and injured or killed.
In Philadelphia, three people were shot dead and 11 others were injured on a popular tourist thoroughfare. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, two people were shot dead, while 14 were injured outside a bar.
Other shootings broke out in South Carolina, Texas and Virginia as people were celebrating recent graduations.
In Chicago, seven were killed and at least 27, including a police officer, were injured.
New York City saw three people injured and one dead in several separate shootings over the weekend.
‘When I was in Connecticut last week, I have never seen the look on parents’ faces that I did,’ Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) told host Jake Tapper on State of the Union.
This all comes as federal officials are now mulling new gun control legislation spurred on by the murder of 10 people in a Buffalo, New York supermarket and 19 elementary school students and two teachers in a Uvalde, Texas elementary school.
The effort is being led by Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, who told CNN over the weekend that he is confident something could be done about the gun violence, noting that parents are anxious about the safety of their children.
‘When I was in Connecticut last week, I have never seen the look on parents’ faces that I did,’ he told host Jake Tapper on State of the Union.
‘There’s just a deep, deep fear for our children right now,’ he said, as well as a, ‘fear that the government’s so fundamentally broken that it can’t put politics aside to guarantee the one thing that matters most to adults in the country – the physical safety of their children.
‘And so I think the possibility of success is better than ever before,’ he said of the chances of passing gun control legislation, noting, ‘There are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws, investing in mental health than any time since Sandy Hook.
‘But I think the consequences of failure for our entire democracy are more significant than ever.’
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Police investigators examined the scene of a fatal shooting on South Street on Sunday
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Cops said at least 14 people were struck when multiple shooters opened fire into a large crowd of revelers. A pedestrian is seen here walking past bullet holes that pierced the window of a store front in the area
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Police were able to recover two weapons from the scene. Police Inspector D.F. Pace is seen here examining the evidence from the scene of the shooting Saturday night
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Three people were killed in the gunfire at the popular tourist hangout
Gunman in Philadelphia kills three, injures 11 after firing into crowd of bargoers
One of the bloodiest shootings of the weekend occurred on Philadelphia’s popular South Street just before midnight on Saturday.
Cops said at least 14 people were struck when multiple shooters opened fire into a large crowd of revelers.
Two men, one aged 22, and a 25-year-old woman were killed in the barrage of gunfire before the suspects fled the scene.
One of the suspected gunman was shot by a police officer three times. Another suspected shooter was receiving treatment at a nearby hospital after being shot in the forearm.
Seven victims were later taken to nearby Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with injuries from the shooting, a hospital spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
One was reported dead on arrival and four others were in stable condition.
Five people were brought to Pennsylvania Hospital. Three other victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown.
No arrests have been made in the shooting as of yet, but two weapons, including one featuring an extended magazine, were recovered at the scene, Police Inspector D. F. Pace confirmed.
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: Cops are seen walking the scene of a shooting that killed another three people and injured 14 outside a bar early Sunday morning
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: A manhunt is underway for the shooters, but police cannot confirm how many gunmen they are searching for
Two people are shot dead and third is killed by ‘a fleeing car’ after ‘multiple shooters’ fire on 14 near a Tennessee bar
Just a few hours after the deadly shooting in Philadelphia, three people were killed when multiple gunmen fired shots outside a bar in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Police responded to Mary’s Bar & Grill on McCallie Avenue after shots rang out around 2.45am Sunday, and report that at least 14 people were shot and three others were struck by cars as they fled for safety.
Two of the deceased were killed in the shooting. The other died after being hit by a car. Several victims were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators are unsure what prompted the gunfire, but note at least 17 people, including one juvenile, were victims of the incident.
It is unclear if the juvenile is among the injured or deceased.
A manhunt is underway for the shooters, however, police cannot confirm exactly how many gunmen they are searching for, WTVC reported.
MESA, ARIZONA: Mesa police were able to arrest three people after a shooting outside of a nightclub early Sunday morning
MESA, ARIZONA: Authorities say two people died on the scene of the shooting, and another two were injured
MESA, TEXAS: A bullet pierced a nearby car in the shooting at around 2.20am on Sunday
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A 14-year-old girl died in a shooting at a strip mall just after 1am on Saturday
Arizona shaken by two shootings in just two days that left five dead, 10 injured
Arizona saw two mass shootings over the weekend, killing three people and leaving eight injured.
The first shooting occurred just after 1am on Saturday at a Phoenix strip mall, where a 14-year-old girl died and eight others were injured.
Police now believe there was a fight that led up to the shooting at the mall, where about 100 people had congregated, according to Arizona’s Family.
A 14-year-old girl died after being brought to the hospital and two other women were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Five men also had minor injuries from the shooting, and a teenage boy suffered from minor injuries but is expected to survive.
Then at around 2.20am in Mesa, police say, a shooting left two men dead and two others injured outside of the Lounge Soho nightclub.
Police said they saw someone speeding off from the nightclub by the time they arrived and chased the car for about six miles before they were able to stop the suspects and detain three people, according to Arizona’s Family.
Two men were found lying outside of the nightclub’s parking lot that morning, and were pronounced dead at the scene, while another two people – including a security guard – were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive.
Investigations into both shootings are ongoing.
In South Carolina, meanwhile, eight people were shot and one was killed in a drive-by shooting at a Saturday night graduation party.
The State reports that the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office first received calls about a shooting at a graduation party at around 11pm, and when they arrived on the scene, they found between 100 to 150 people at the party.
One of the gunshot victims, the sheriff’s office reports, was a 32-year-old woman who succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning.
Six of the seven other victims were children between the ages of 12 and 17. The final victim was a 36-year-old who was also shot.
Authorities say most of the victims’ injuries were non-life threatening, but at least one person is in critical condition.
They now believe the shooting was gang-related, with investigators thinking a previous disagreement or drive-by shootings in other parts of the county led up to the violence on Saturday night.
Sheriff Tim Baxley said at least one vehicle – but likely two- pulled up to the party in the Midlands, and fired shots before fleeing south.
He said there were multiple people firing weapons, and officials have recovered between 60 to 70 bullet shells from the scene. It is possible someone in the crowd returned fire, Baxley added.
No arrests have been made in the shooting, and information about the shooters is not yet available.
SOCORRO, TEXAS: Five teenagers were shot and two are in critical condition following a ‘targeted’ shooting at a graduation party early Saturday morning
SOCORRO, TEXAS: A preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting began after two groups began fighting
Five teens shot and two are in critical condition following ‘targeted’ graduation party shooting in Texas
Another graduation party – this time on the west coast- was also targeted by gunfire early Saturday morning.
Socorro, Texas police say there were as many as 100 people at a graduation party at around 1am, when an unnamed gunman started firing into the crowd.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the shooting began after two groups began fighting, police said, and Chief of Police David Burton said in a news conference that it appeared to be a ‘targeted attack.’
Five victims between the ages of 14 and 18 are now being treated at University Medical Center of El Paso, KVIA reports, and two are in critical condition.
Graduation party in Virginia leaves kills 20-year-old and leaves seven injured
A third graduation party – this time in Virginia – left a 20-year-old man killed and seven injured.
Police in Chester said they first received calls about shots fired at the party, where about 50 to 100 mainly underage teenagers gathered, at around 10.20pm.
When they arrived n the scene, WTVR reports, they found 20-year-old Taborri J Carter suffering from a gunshot wound. They tried to administer CPR they said, but he di3ed at the scene.
Five others had already checked themselves into a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police report, and two others were hurt when they were hit by a car as they ran from the scene.
Police said they had earlier received calls about a fight between two females at the party.
‘So there is a fight between a couple of females,’ Major Brad Badgerow said in a news conference. ‘I’m told that was broken up.
‘And then shortly after that, another fight started. And then very shortly after that is when the shorts fired call came in.’
Police are now continuing to investigate the shooting.
Smaller shootings reported in other cities throughout the US
Police in Michigan are also investigating a shooting that left three people dead Sunday morning.
Information about the shooting remains scarce, but police say they responded to the scene on South 11th Street at around 2.30am after receiving reports of a shooting, according to NBC 25 News.
Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, and another was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries.
Two other men were also brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds and are currently being treated.
In Macon, Georgia, meanwhile, a man is in critical condition after two men got into a fight in the parking lot of a gas station, according to 13WMAZ, and in Lexington, Kentucky, one man was shot dead after leaving a funeral service – marking the 22nd homicide for the city, according to LEX18.
New York City also saw two shootings leave three people injured and one dead, PIX 11 reports, and in Chicago, a whopping 33 people were shot – six of whom were killed, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
A judge was also killed in a targeted attack in Wisconsin, and in Omaha, Nebraska, WOWT reports, one person is dead and three others were injured in a shooting near an apartment complex Friday night.
One of the victims, identified as 31-year-old Pierre Hightower, died a the scene, and three other victims were taken to the hospital – two of whom have life-threatening injuries.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden addressed the gun violence epidemic in a speech from the White House, in which he said that the Second Amendment is ‘not absolute’
The deadly weekend comes just days after President Joe Biden said he wants to completely stop the gun ‘carnage’ that is happening in the country.
In emotional remarks at the White House on Wednesday, he reminded people the Second Amendment is ‘not absolute.’
‘When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done to, if not completely stop, fundamentally change the amount of the carnage that goes on in this country?,’ Biden said.
And he snapped back at critics who are demanding their Second Amendment right to bear arms amid fresh calls for more stringent gun laws.
‘The Second Amendment’s not absolute,’ the president said. ‘When it was passed you couldn’t own a cannon, you couldn’t own certain weapons. There’s always been limitations.’
Now, several federal officials are trying to push for further gun control laws, with Sen. Murphy telling CNN over the weekend he feels confident that officials could pass ‘red flag’ laws that could be used to confiscate weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others, as well as expanded background checks.
But in order for that to happen, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to overcome the country’s filibuster requirement – and several Republicans have spoken out against gun control measures.
Rep. Steve Scalise, for example, accused Democrats of using the recent mass shootings as an excuse to infringe upon gun rights, and implied that such shootings almost always had a cause that could not simply be boiled down to a person owning a gun.
‘It immediately becomes about Democrats wanting to take away guns,’ he said on FOX News Sunday.
‘Let’s go search for the root of the problem. How can we do a better job of connecting the dots and stopping something before it happens? Like we did after September 11th, which has worked really well as it relates to stopping terrorist attacks,’ he said.
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