The Fourth of July weekend this year witnessed innumerable incidents of gun violence across the United States. There were more than 500 incidents of shooting. These led to 233 deaths while more than 600 suffered gun related injuries. The Gun Violence Archive GVA confirms these figures. The GVA adds that this year there has been a reduction of 26 percent compared to last year. There appears to be genuine reasons for the decline. At that time, the nation was in the process of reopening after the Coronavirus stay-at-home orders. In addition, there was a general unrest in different parts of the country because of the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, at the hands of a white police officer.
CNN reveals in Chicago there were 69 incidents of shooting during the specified period. As a result, 100 people were shot and 18 of them lost their lives. Police Superintendent David Brown says it was the "most challenging weekend of the year" for police.
New York, Chicago and other cities were targets of violence
The holiday weekend saw quite a number of mass shootings in the United States. CNN has a definition for a mass shooting. It describes it as an incident in which gunfire kills or wounds at least four people. It does not include the shooter. New York saw 29 cases of shooting with 35 victims, two of them died. Chicago also had to cope with innumerable incidents of shooting that led to 18 deaths.
In Atlanta, a professional golfer suffered a gunshot wound on his head. Police pronounced him dead. There were a couple of other gunshot victims on the course. Police are trying to locate the suspect who might be responsible for these cases. The list of gun violence on the Fourth of July weekend this year is a long one and the victims included teenagers.
Sights of violence can have an adverse effect on their impressionable minds. It is necessary to realize that a gun could become a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.
Many victims of the violence were bystanders
The worst part of gun violence is the fate of those who have no link to the incidents. They could be persons who happen to get in the line of fire.
That is what happened near a car wash in Fort Worth, Texas. It seems there was an argument between some men. One of them left the scene, returned with a gun, and began indiscriminate firing. The police said most of the victims were innocent bystanders. CNN goes on to mention about the effect of violence on children. In Norfolk, Virginia, four children suffered gunshot wounds. They are teenagers and could remain traumatized for a long time after witnessing scenes of blood and injured people.
Chicago mayor meets Joe Biden on the issue of violence
According to Daily Mail UK, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot greeted President Joe Biden on his arrival at the airport. She had a quick conversation with him on the tarmac.
The subject was gun violence in the city. It seems she confided to the media before the meeting that she would request additional federal aid to fight the ongoing situation. The Fourth of July weekend this year saw unprecedented violence accompanied by deaths. The wounded included at least 13 children and a couple of Chicago police supervisors. A section of the local media said more than 2000 people suffered gunshot wounds. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the President, during his conversation with Lori Lightfoot, “reiterated his commitment to working with the Mayor and leaders in Chicago in the fight against gun violence.”
