US shooting sprees: 3 dead in Iowa, 2 shot in Wisconsin
In the latest shooting spree in the US, two women were shot and killed outside an Ames Church in Iowa and two people were injured in a shooting during a Wisconsin funeral.
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Women outside the Cornerstone Church in Ames Iowa on Thursday.
According to local media, an unidentified man shot and murdered two women outside Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa.
The alleged gunman appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Story County Sheriff Nicholas Lennie, as reported by the Des Moines Register.
According to the publication, the incident occurred on Thursday night in the church's parking lot.
Earlier in the day, during a national speech, US President Joe Biden urged Congress to take quick action to establish new gun control measures that may help limit the country's pattern of mass shootings.
Two shot during Wisconsin funeral
A number of gunshots went out during a funeral at Graceland Cemetery in Racine, Wisconsin, on Thursday, injuring at least two people and causing panic.
Read more: Gun violence in US leading cause of death among youth
According to CBS 58 Milwaukee, one of the victims was treated and released. The other victim was airlifted to a hospital in Milwaukee. Their status remains unknown.
Late Thursday, no one was in custody.
The shooting occurred during the funeral of Da'Shontay King, 37, who was shot and killed by Racine Police on May 20. A Racine officer fatally shot King during a search warrant.
Natasha Mullen, King's sister, told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that "bullets started flying everywhere" as they were preparing themselves to bury him at the gravesite.
CBS 58 reported that people attending the funeral began running for their lives and the cemetery emptied.
While just after 5 pm, a part of the cemetery was cordoned off as forensic specialists strolled among the graves to identify and gather shot casings and other perishable evidence. The funeral tent stayed up above the graveyard, and the casket remained above ground and was lowered into the cemetery four hours after the event.
One young man playing basketball nearby, Tre Brantley, began sprinting to his car as soon as he heard bullets. He and his brother, Kellyn Foster, went inside their car and hunkered down, hoping not to get wounded.
Speaking of the gun violence, he said, "This has got to stop."
Racine Police Sgt. Kristi Wilcox was quoted as saying that she heard it was "mass chaos... People were running, people just got in cars, and were screaming. I know we got multiple 911 calls that people were shot."
The cemetery was taped off and a nearby hospital went into lockdown, according to CBS 58.
Racine police stopped short of labeling the shooting gang-related, but CBS 58 reported Sgt. Wilcox, saying, "We're asking for calm and no retaliation of any kind. This city has seen enough right now, and we'd like to be able to rest for a little bit."
Following the incident, the city of Racine imposed a youth curfew, according to CBS 58 Milwaukee. Anyone under the age of 18 will be subject to a curfew from 11 pm to 6 pm.
Racine officials issued the following statement, as reported by CBS 58:
"Today's heinous shooting at a cemetery while a family was already mourning the loss of a loved one is a new low for these perpetrators of violence in our community. The violence has got to stop! Revenge is not the answer. Ending gun violence is the top priority of the police department and my administration. I have spoken to the Governor and Attorney General to request more resources to support violence prevention. I am instructing the police department to actively enforce our juvenile curfew ordinance through the weekend. Anyone under 18 must be home by 11 PM. This violence must end. If you have any information about the horrific events of today, I urge you to contact the Racine Police Department immediately."
The US has been witnessing an alarming number of gun violence and mass shootings.
US public figures and gun-control advocates urged the US government to take measures that would ensure mass shootings could not happen again. The spike in mass shootings in the US peaked over Memorial Day weekend — spanning Saturday, Sunday, and the federal holiday on Monday, with at least 12 mass shootings.
Following the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers last week several members of society, public figures, and advocates vocalized their growing concern regarding the incidents.
Since last Tuesday, 15 mass shootings happened across the US from California to Arizona to Tennessee. People have been enraged that such despicable things have happened over and over again.
