Fourth of July violence in US kills at least 33
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The Fourth of July has historically been one of the country's bloodiest days of the year.
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Paradegoers with Moms Demand Action march during the Independence Day Parade along Central Avenue in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2024. (AP)
Shootings and other incidents of violence over the long Fourth of July weekend killed at least 33 people in the United States, including 11 in Chicago, and injured scores more around the country, according to police.
The Fourth of July has historically been one of the country's bloodiest days of the year. A spate of gunshots around the holiday a year ago killed more than a dozen people and injured nearly 60 more. A year before, seven people were killed in a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade outside Chicago.
Summer months are generally associated with increased violence and mass shootings.
As of Friday morning, 11 people were murdered and 55 were wounded in gunshots around Chicago during the long July Fourth weekend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A mass shooting killed two adults and an eight-year-old kid on Thursday.
The latest violence "has left our city in a state of grief," Mayor Brandon Johnson stated.
"We are devastated by the recent violence that has left our city in a state of grief and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities impacted by these recent events," Johnson told the audience.
Eight individuals were injured in Chicago's Little Italy area soon after midnight Friday. Around 90 minutes later, six people were injured in a shooting in the city's Austin area. A Lake Michigan beach in Chicago was closed after several stabbings and shootings recently.
Violence in California, Philadelphia
Police reported the murder of two people and the injury of 3 others in Huntington Beach, California. A man was detained after reports of a deadly weapon assault on Thursday.
A 15-year-old boy shot a 10-year-old girl who died in Cleveland. In Niles, northern Ohio, Police Chief Jay Holland said a 15-year-old youth was in custody after a 23-year-old was fatally shot Thursday night during a home event.
A drive-by shooting in Philadelphia left one man killed and 6 injured. The injured included four adolescents, who are being treated at hospitals for injuries that were not deemed life-threatening.
In Boston, a man was killed by gunshot wounds in the South End district, while 3 others were injured in the city's Jamaica Plain area. A third gunshot at a petrol station resulted in life-threatening injuries for one of the victims.
Another shooting occurred Thursday night at a condominium parking lot in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, injuring a 17-year-old.
A woman in Connecticut was discovered shot in her vehicle early Friday, and in Albany, New York, six males aged 16 to 19 were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
In Detroit, 5 teens were injured when bullets were fired into a crowd during a scuffle at a party early Friday morning in Pontiac, about 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Authorities said they were rushed to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Four individuals were wounded after being shot early Friday outside a Tampa Florida adult nightclub following an incident between the club's security officer and two males, according to authorities. One of the two males shot the security guard with a revolver, authorities said.
Stabbings and more shootings
In Queens, New York, an 8-year-old was killed in a stabbing during a domestic conflict. Police claimed they fatally shot a 20-year-old male who was holding a knife to his 43-year-old father's throat and refusing to drop the weapon.
A shooting during an unlicensed fireworks show in High Point, North Carolina, killed one person after a big crowd gathered in the city's parking lot, roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of Raleigh, according to authorities.
Two men were killed in shootings at two Fourth of July parties in the St. Louis region, with five others injured, two severely, according to authorities.
A man in West Virginia died on Friday after being shot numerous times, according to state police. A road rage incident led to the death of a 36-year-old man in Maryland.
Other shootings on Thursday included the death of a Cleveland police officer executing a warrant and an armed individual making threats in Yellowstone National Park.
