Weekend shootings across US unfold a carnage claiming lives and leaving a trail of injury. Unprecedented wave of violence grips Washington state, suburban Chicago, St Louis, Pennsylvania, Baltimore and California, as bloodshed surges amidst the pandemic-stricken era. At least six people were killed including a Pennsylvania state trooper and dozens injured within a string of mass shootings and weekend violence in the US.
Renowned professor of Carnegie Mellon University, Daniel Nagin acknowledges the undeniable surge in violence, particularly noting concerning incidents arising from the disputes, frequently involving youth, where firearms have become the weapon of choice instead of physical altercations.
While the experts also diverge on the major causes behind this upsurge, hypotheses range from the influence of widespread gun ownership in the US for changing the law enforcement strategies or even a decline in prosecuting misdemeanor weapon-related crimes, as highlighted by Nagin.
By Sunday evening, no weekend events specifically met the criteria for a mass killing, as the death toll at every location was less than of four victims. But the tally of the wounded individuals in the majority of these incidents presented alignment with the widely identified definition of mass shootings.
Weekend shootings across different states of US:
Washington state
At a Washington state campground on Saturday night, a shooter unleashed random gunfire into a crowd, which resulted in two deaths and lead to injuries to two other individuals.
Authorities issued a public alert warning of an active shooter in the vicinity and individuals were advised to take immediate action and choose between hiding, running or fighting for their safety.
Willow brook, Illinois
At a suburban Chicago parking lot, the tragedy struck at the early hours of Sunday. The shooting claimed the life of one person and left a minimum of 22 others wounded.
The event, described by the office of DuPage County Sheriff as a “peaceful gathering” commemorating Juneteenth, descended into violence in Willow brook, located almost 20 miles southwest of Chicago.
Central Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania a state trooper lost their life and another was left in critical condition in a span of a few hours on Saturday.
There was an occurrence of a distressing encounter around 12;45 pm near the Lewistown barracks when an individual opened fire on troopers.
St Louis
In a downtown St. Louis office building the incident resulted in the death of a 17-year-old, identified as Makao Moore, and nine other teenagers were injured.
The weekend shooting occurred around 1 am during a party held by teenagers in an office space, and the victims aged between 15 to 19. Authorities have already taken a minor into custody, who is considered as a person of interest, as they were found in the possession of a handgun.
Baltimore
Weekend shooting incident in Baltimore on Friday night led to injury of 6 individuals. The age range of the wounded individuals was between 17 and 26 years old.
Police officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the Northern part of the city before 9 pm and discovered 3 men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Subsequently, after transferring the first three individuals to the nearby hospitals the law enforcement became aware of the three more individuals who had independently arrived at area hospitals.
Southern California
Gunfire erupted in Southern California during a pool party held a residence. It resulted in 8 individuals sustaining injuries.
The victims aged between 16 and 24 and were swiftly transferred to hospitals.
