According to officials, a gunshot in Washington DC killed one youngster and injured numerous others. The shooting happened on Sunday night during the Moechella culture festival.

"MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] is responding to the area of 14th and U Street, NW, for a shooting incident in which multiple people have been shot, including an MPD officer," the DC police department said on social media.

In a later statement to reporters, DC police Chief Robert Contee stated that a minor was murdered and three individuals were injured, including a DC police officer. The injured people were brought to the hospital. The motive behind the shooting is under investigation.

Read next: New US mass shooting leaves 2 dead, 1 wounded in Alabama

The latest shooting was in a church in Alabama on June 18. According to authorities, a third victim, an 84-year-old woman, has died, increasing the death toll to three after a 71-year-old man opened fire at a church potluck meal at night.

The statement detailed that "it is with great sadness that the Vestavia Hills Police Department reports the passing of the third shooting victim from Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church," adding that the "84-year-old white female was transported, from the scene to UAB hospital for treatment on the evening of June 16, 2022."

The recent spree of tragic shootings has pushed guns to the forefront of a national debate as US leaders grapple with how to reduce the alarming rate of violence.