Topline
Mass shootings in Ohio, Texas and Maryland over the weekend left more than 30 people shot, as the number of mass shootings this year continues to rise putting the U.S. on track to have its deadliest year yet.
So far 2023 is outpacing previous, with a record 367 mass shootings as of July 9, according to data … [+] from the Gun Violence Archive.
Key Facts
Police in Cleveland are searching for information about a potential suspect and motive after nine people were shot overnight when a gunman opened fire downtown.
Two people in Amarillo, Texas, died and another five were injured after a mass shooting at a party overnight, police said.
In Baltimore, four people were shot, two of whom died, early Saturday morning after a verbal dispute turned violent, WBAL reported.
Eight people in El Paso—all of whom were 18 and under—were shot Friday night after a disagreement at a house party, police said.
Big Number
367. That’s how many mass shootings have occurred so far this year, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident with at least four injuries or deaths, not including the shooter.
Key Background
The country is continuing to record its fastest rate of mass shootings in recent history. If mass shootings continue at the rate they are going currently, it’s likely they will exceed the levels recorded in 2021, which was the worst year for mass shootings since at least 2014, when the Gun Violence Archive first started tracking shooting data. By July 9, 2022, the U.S. had recorded 325 mass shootings and in 2021 the U.S. recorded 342 mass shootings by July 9, according to the Gun Violence archive.
Tangent
The multiple mass shootings this weekend follow a deadly Fourth of July holiday last weekend. More than a dozen mass shootings between Friday and Tuesday of the Independence Day long weekend claimed 19 lives in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, Baltimore and elsewhere. The violence led President Joe Biden to release a statement calling for more action to “address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.” He urged Republicans to negotiate with Democrats on potential “commonsense” gun reforms.
Further Reading
U.S. Sees Record Number Of Mass Shootings Halfway Through 2023 (Forbes)
Biden Responds As Dozens Shot In July 4 Mass Shootings (Forbes)
