Mass shootings, fatal accidents mar Fourth of July celebrations
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Mass shootings during US Independence Day celebrations left several dead and injured across major cities, renewing the debate on gun violence and public safety.
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Fireworks explode over the East River and Brooklyn Bridge during the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Show on July 4, 2025, in New York (AP)
The US Independence Day holiday on Friday was marred by numerous shootings across the country, including an incident in Indianapolis that resulted in at least two fatalities and five injuries, as the local police chief expressed his exasperation over the ongoing violence plaguing his city.
Indianapolis Metropolitan police chief Chris Bailey addressed reporters early Saturday morning, stating that the Fourth of July violence the previous day was "completely unacceptable and unnecessary" while also emphasizing that parents and guardians must take greater responsibility in supervising their children.
Speaking in the city’s downtown, he said, "Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here," adding, "I don’t know how many times I had to say it: We are not your children’s keepers. You are!" and emphasizing that "parents and guardians have got to step up." A minor died in the hospital after a shooting.
Shootings reported across multiple cities
Mass shootings, which are defined as incidents involving four or more shooting victims either injured or killed, occurred in multiple cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Brockton, Massachusetts, where six individuals were transported to hospitals after a violent altercation early Saturday morning.
Chicago saw another outbreak of gun violence when a shooting left seven people in serious or critical condition, just days after a deadly mass shooting late Wednesday in the city's bustling restaurant and nightlife district that claimed four lives and wounded fourteen others.
Police in New York City's Queens borough reported that a triple stabbing occurred following Fourth of July fireworks celebrations marking the 249th anniversary of US independence from Britain, leaving one person dead and three others injured.
A tragic incident in Wareham, Massachusetts, claimed the life of 70-year-old Robert Spagnuolo when he was struck by a firework, with police reporting they discovered him with a severe facial injury before he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Georgia officials reported two separate boat explosions on state lakes Friday, including one incident on Lake Lanier, where seven victims aged five to 45 sustained second- and third-degree burns in the blast, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The department also reported that seven additional individuals sustained burn injuries when another vessel exploded and subsequently sank on Lake Nottely.
The nonpartisan Gun Violence Archive reported that as of Saturday, the US had already witnessed more than 205 mass shootings this year, with the persistently high frequency of such incidents leading many to demand stronger gun control measures despite Congress consistently failing to act on these calls for reform over the years.
