3 Mass Shootings Hit United States Over Weekend
Nine people were wounded in a shooting at a nightclub in Hampton County, South Carolina. There were no reported fatalities.
Nine people were shot and two others injured in a shooting at a busy Columbia, South Carolina, shopping mall. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 73, and none faced life-threatening injuries. However law enforcement officials said that the incident likely stemmed from previous conflict.
Two 17-year-olds were killed and at least eight other people were wounded after gunfire broke out at a house party in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Others were injured when trying to escape, including people who broke bones jumping from windows to get away. The majority of people at the party were underage.
Two minors were killed and at least nine more people wounded in a shooting at a house party in Pittsburgh early Sunday, police said. The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. at a short-term rental property where there were more than 200 people inside. https://t.co/f4yCZBGLB8
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 17, 2022
In the course of one weekend, these three mass shootings caused chaos in multiple communities across the United States. But they were hardly the only recent mass violence events. Last week a gunman dropped a smoke bomb and opened fire in a busy New York City subway car. Earlier in April, six people were killed and 12 others wounded during a gunfight between rival gangs in Sacramento, California. A shooting inside a crowded Cedar Rapids, Iowa, nightclub left two people dead and 10 wounded.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot—not including the shooter, there have been 144 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2022. In the last 72 hours, 46 people have been injured and three killed in mass shootings, the Archive reported.
American gun violence data in the new year, as of April 14th:
— The Gun Violence Archive (@GunDeaths) April 14, 2022
–5,283 deaths
–9,676 injuries
–133 mass shootings
–86 children killed | 198 children injured
–358 teenagers killed | 875 teenagers injured
–304 defensive use incidents
–410 unintentional shootings
In addition to mass shootings at parties and other gatherings, road rage cases are on the rise. According to reporting from The New York Times, Austin, Texas, police recorded 160 episodes of drivers pointing or firing a gun; so far in 2022, there have been 15 road rage shootings. Three people were wounded, and two more were stabbed in road rage-based altercations. The Gun Violence Archive noted that more than 500 people were injured or killed in reported road rage shootings in 2021, up from fewer than 300 in 2019.
More than two-thirds of the most-populous cities in the United States recorded a rise in homicides in 2021, with the majority of crimes committed with a firearm, CNN reported.
ASIS International offers resources for security professionals seeking to address active assailant risks. Visit the Soft Target and Active Shooter resource page for more information.
