Gun violence in the United States is a pandemic that has long called for attention. According to the Gun Violence Archive, over 40,167 people died from gun violence in the US in 2023.
Going by that figure, nearly 120 people died from gun violence daily in 2023. The GVA report also states that of those who died, 1,306 were teens, and 276 were children, proving it’s not exclusive to a specific demography.
In a series of unfortunate events on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2024, authorities confirmed at least 11 people dead. According to law enforcement, the shootings occurred from Florida to Massachusetts, leaving a trail of bodies. Authorities state that the first shootings happened at a night party attended by nearly 1000 people in Stockton.
Following the tragic event, investigators discovered that there were multiple shooters at the crime scene. While officials have yet to arrest the shooter, they have hospitalized the injured ones. Hours later, authorities found two others dead from gunshot wounds after an Atlanta nightclub shooting.
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During a news conference, the Atlanta Police Department revealed that officers responded to a report at Elleven 45 Lounge. However, upon arriving at the lounge, they found six people shot. Police pronounced two dead at the scene and rushed the others to the hospital without knowing their health condition.
That same night, officials recorded another incident of gun violence in Tampa, Florida. Authorities claim they found multiple victims with gunshot wounds on Sunday. Authorities are yet to find a connection between these incidents as they happened in different areas.
In a post on X, the Tallahassee police department wrote, “Two adults have been transported to a local hospital with gunshot wounds.” Furthermore, the police department’s handle also noted that the condition of the victims was unknown.
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Elsewhere in the state, police officers were investigating a parking lot shooting, which left three men with gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, authorities have declared two out of three dead. However, the third man isn’t suffering from life-threatening injuries. According to police records, the victims were between 23 and 28.
While speaking about the parking lot shooting at a press briefing, officials claimed that the parking lot shooting victims knew each other. “Prior to shots being fired, the three adult males were engaged in a dispute that then escalated.”
Since they don’t have a lead yet, the police are working tirelessly to get a motive for the killings and unravel the mystery behind the Mother’s Day shootings. In Massachusetts, a sixteen-year-old boy also died in a house party shooting on Sunday.
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Worcester County District Attorney said other victims refused hospitalization and were treated by paramedics at the scene. Following the tragic incident, North Borough Police Chief Brian Griffin revealed that his department advised the homeowner against the party at the residence.
“They’re underage people,” County District Attorney Joseph D. Early said, noting the young ages of the victims. In another instance, officers heard a gunfire while patrolling nearby. After rushing to the scene, they met a chaotic scene.
The irony of a mother losing her child on Mother’s Day is the new norm in the US, and it will only get worse with the increasing rates of gun violence in the US.
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