Washington: At least 33 people were killed, including 11 in Chicago, and dozens were wounded during the extended weekend of the Fourth of July (US Independence Day) celebrations across the nation, according to authorities. These incidents are not new, as the Fourth of July has been one of the deadliest days in the United States historically.
Violence and mass shootings often increase in the summer months, with more people gathering for social events, teens out of school and hotter temperatures. At least 11 people have been killed and 55 wounded in Chicago alone on Friday morning. The violence included a mass shooting on Thursday that killed two women and an eight-year-old boy.
The recent violence “has left our city in a state of grief,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We are devastated by the recent violence that has left our city in a state of grief and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities impacted by these recent events,” Johnson said.
A community rally was planned for Friday evening, and the city will beef up police presence over the weekend, he added. Eight people were wounded in Chicago’s Little Italy neighbourhood shortly after midnight Friday. About 90 minutes later, a shooting in the city’s Austin neighbourhood injured six. Police said preliminary findings suggest the separate shootings involved an exchange of gunfire between two people who then fled.
Violence in other US states
California: Two people were killed and three others injured in an attack in Huntington Beach, less than two hours after a fireworks show ended, police said. Authorities arrested a suspect after responding to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon on Thursday night.
Ohio: Police Chief Jay Holland said a 15-year-old male was in custody after a 23-year-old man was fatally shot on Thursday night at a Fourth of July party at a residence in the northeastern community of Niles. Additionally, a 10-year-old girl, identified as Gracie Griffin, was fatally shot in a Cleveland neighbourhood, police said.
Philadelphia: A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were wounded in a drive-by shooting in Philadelphia on Thursday night. The wounded, which included four juveniles, were being treated at hospitals for various injuries that were not considered life-threatening. It is not known yet what prompted the shooting.
Massachusetts: As many as three shootings took place in Boston, leaving one man dead. The fatal shooting occurred in the early hours of Friday in a park near Boston’s South End neighbourhood. At about the same time, three other people were wounded in the city’s Jamaica Plain neighbourhood.
Connecticut: A woman was found shot in her car early Friday and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police identified her as Shamyria Williams, 23, of Hartford. Relatives told reporters they believed she had just left a Fourth of July party.
New York: Police in Albany, New York, said six males ranging in age from 16 to 19 were being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening after a shooting at a large gathering. One teenager who had been shot flagged down officers along a street a short time later, police said. Moreover in the Queens section of New York, an 8-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in an apartment in what police described as a domestic dispute.
Michigan: Five teens were wounded when shots were fired into a crowd following a fight at a party early Friday morning in Pontiac, about 30 miles (48.2 km) northwest of Detroit. Three of the victims are 14 years old. The other two are 15 years old. All are males.
Florida: Four people were wounded in a shooting early Friday outside a Tampa adult nightclub after an altercation between the club’s security guard and two men, police said. The two men drove their car to the front of the Pink Pussycat Lounge and one of them shot the security guard with a handgun, police said.
North Carolina: A shooting at an unofficial fireworks display in High Point left one person dead after a large crowd had gathered in the parking lot of the city about 90 miles (145 km) west of Raleigh, police said. The victim was identified as Keith S Lynch, 32, of High Point.
Other areas: Shootings at two St. Louis-area Fourth of July gatherings left two men dead and five others injured, two critically, police said. In West Virginia, Charles Speer, 42, of Kermit, died early Friday after being shot multiple times following a physical altercation at the home of another man, state police said.
Why is Fourth of July important in US?
The US Independence Day is celebrated annually on July 4. The history of Independence Day dates back to the late 18th century - during the American Revolutionary War. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favour of independence from Britain. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson.
Independence Day is a national holiday filled with fireworks, parades, barbecues, and a sense of patriotism. It's a day to celebrate the freedoms Americans hold dear and honour the sacrifices made by those who fought for them. However, it is often marred with violence and mass shootings, particularly due to relaxed gun laws in the US.
(with AP inputs)
