Mass shootings mark US Memorial Day

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US public figures and gun-control advocates urged the U.S. 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, Tex., that 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.

At the time, US Senator Ted Cruz makes what might be considered the most tone-deaf remark about the tragedy. Instead of attributing gun deaths to the near-absence of gun control measures, blamed the national crisis on “unlocked backdoors.” He went on to politicize the tragedy, pointing his finger at Democrats, who he blamed to use the shootings to demonize “law-abiding gun owners” and the NRA.

Since 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.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research organization, these incidents match the criteria for mass shootings based on the descriptions of local news reports and police comments.

As defined by the GVA a mass shooting can be labeled as such when “four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.” A number of those shootings occurred at parties, and one even took place at a Memorial Day event.

It’s ridiculous that I even need to publicly state that guns have no place in the hands of our kids. And that children shouldn’t be wandering around in the middle of the night with no supervision.

— Tim Kelly (@MayorTimKelly) May 29, 2022

GVA confirms that 8 people have been killed, and 55 have been injured over the holiday weekend. To be more exact, at least 11 people have been killed and 67 injured since Tuesday’s mass shooting in Uvalde.

In a shocking incident, Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent, and news anchor at CNN had interrupted a broadcast Sunday discussing the response to the mass shooting in Uvalde to tell viewers about a new one in Tennessee:

“Mass killings like Buffalo and Uvalde become national news, but many mass shootings do not. They just end up being local stories,” Stelter said.

Following the #Texas elementary school massacre, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults, there has been fresh criticism of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions received by Republican politicians from pro-gun rights groups.#TexasMassacre pic.twitter.com/MnGOqXFoIh

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 26, 2022

Six adolescents were injured by gunshots in Chattanooga, Tennessee, later on, Saturday evening. According to GVA, the Chattanooga shooting was one of at least five mass shootings that occurred on Saturday alone.

Sunday, another five mass shootings took place across the US including the one at a Memorial Day festival in Taft, Oklahoma. Another incident took place at a party in Merced County, Calif., the sheriff’s office said. 

Read more: A gun is worth a thousand Nazi words

The following Monday, two double homicides occurred two hours apart according to Steve Keeley, a reporter for Fox 29 Philadelphia. However, mass shootings have been happening in the US long before the start of the holiday. 

Officers in Mecosta County, Michigan, discovered three children under the age of ten and a lady dead of apparent gunshot wounds on Friday afternoon after responding to a complaint of a man with a pistol and rounds fired at a private property. They also discovered a man who had been shot in the head and was transported to the hospital. The children were siblings, aged 3, 4, and 6, according to relatives, and the lady was their mother, according to a local news station.