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Over 400 shootings occurred across US over holiday weekend

2 years 8 months 3 weeks ago Tuesday, July 06 2021 Jul 6, 2021 July 06, 2021 7:45 AM July 06, 2021 in News
Source: CNN

Authorities across the US report rising numbers of violent crimes and this past holiday weekend the disturbing trend did not let up.

According to CNN, at least 150 people were killed by gun violence in more than 400 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend.

In one of the country's most popular cities, New York, authorities responded to at least 21 shootings that involved 26 victims from Friday to Sunday.

In Chicago, a total of 83 people were shot during incidents of gun violence that occurred from 6 p.m., Friday to 6 a.m., Monday. 

Meanwhile, tragedy also struck suburban Atlanta on Saturday when golf professional Gene Siller was shot to death at a country club by a suspect who remains at large, according to Cobb County police. 

The 41-year-old athlete was found unresponsive with an "apparent gunshot wound to the head" and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Two other gunshot victims were also found on the course.

The suspect has not been identified at this time.

In Baton Rouge, at least three shootings occurred between Friday, July 3, and Monday, July 5. 

One incident was a fatal shooting at a North Harco Drive area apartment complex that took the life of a 30-year-old victim.

The second incident involved a man using a weapon to fire at his niece and nephew during a Fourth of July family gathering.

In addition to this, The Advocate reported a third shooting incident in which a vehicle containing multiple youths was hit by gunfire, and a girl who was in the automobile sustained non-life-threatening injuries. 

Several mass shootings, which are commonly defined as shootings that involve four or more victims of gunfire, also occurred over the holiday weekend.

CNN reports that eight people were injured early Sunday morning in a shooting near a car wash in Fort Worth, Texas and that in Norfolk, Virginia, four children were shot Friday afternoon.

In addition to this, twelve people were injured in a shooting at a block party attended by several hundred people in Toledo, Ohio Sunday night. 

These tragic incidents depict a mere portion of an overwhelming number of shootings that unfolded across the country during the July 4 holiday weekend.

The uptick in violent crimes has not gone unnoticed by the general public. 

According to a recent ABC News report, twenty-eight percent of Americans view crime in the United States as an extremely serious problem. Though this may seem like a relatively small number, it exceeds previous poll numbers from 2000 to 2020, which reported an average of nineteen percent. 

The White House, also aware of the national increase in crime, says it's taking steps to reduce gun violence. 

In June, President Joe Biden announced a crime-fighting strategy that would directly target gun violence as well as suppliers of illegal firearms and provide low-income communities with more monetary support.  

Biden announced a “zero tolerance” policy that would revoke the licenses of illegal gun dealers on a first offense.

The President said he is also seeking increased transparency on gun data and improved coordination among states, as he pushes Congress to provide additional funding to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is the agency responsible for enforcing federal gun laws and regulating gun dealers. 

In addition to this, the US Justice Department is launching strike forces in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., to help take down illegal gun traffickers.

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