Nine more people have lost their lives in another day of gun violence in the US, with three mass shootings in separate cities.
Key points:
- Police believe multiple shooters were involved in both incidents
- The Gun Violence Archive recorded 239 mass shootings so far this year
- A mass shooting is when at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter
The first incident occurred on a busy street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where hundreds of people were enjoying a Saturday night out.
Police heard multiple gunshots and witnessed several suspects firing into a large crowd just before midnight.
Two men and a woman were killed, while 12 were wounded.
Just a few hours later, a shooting near a nightclub in Tennessee led to three deaths.
Fourteen people were hit by gunfire and three were struck by vehicles as they fled the chaotic scene in the city of Chattanooga.
Police believe multiple shooters were involved in that incident as well.
Of the three killed, two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died after being hit by a vehicle.
Sixteen of the victims were adults and one was a juvenile and several remained in critical condition, according to Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy.
She said police believe it was an isolated incident and authorities don’t believe there’s an ongoing public safety threat.
Ms Murphy said it would be a complex investigation going forward.
It was the second shooting in Chattanooga in the past week. Six teenagers were shot in downtown Chattanooga last weekend.
In yet another shooting in the early hours of Sunday, three people were killed and two were wounded in Saginaw, Michigan, WEYI television reported, citing a police statement.
Unlike the other two cases, which affected bystanders unconnected to the shooting, all five of the people in the Michigan shooting were involved in the incident, police said.
No suspects in any of the shootings were reported as being in custody as of Sunday evening.
The incidents followed recent shootings that killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York; 21 victims at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas; and four people at a medical building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In Uvalde, they buried 10-year-old Alithia Haven Ramirez on Sunday, one of the 19 schoolchildren killed in the rampage by an 18-year-old man armed with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.
Alithia dreamed of attending art school in Paris and loved to play soccer, according to an obituary posted by a funeral home.
Gun safety advocates are pushing the US government to take stronger measures to curb gun violence
No arrests so far in Philadelphia shooting
In Philadelphia, officers were patrolling the area on South Street in downtown Philadelphia when they heard multiple gunshots and witnessed several suspects firing into a large crowd just before midnight.
South Street is known for its entertainment venues and night life with multiple bars, restaurants and businesses.
The whereabouts of the Philadelphia shooters were not immediately known, the police said.
Two handguns were recovered at the scene, including one with an extended magazine, authorities added.
Philadelphia police said on Sunday afternoon that the shooting started after an altercation between two parties.
The police did not specify how many shooters were involved but said five guns were used.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney described the shooting as “horrendous, despicable and senseless.”
The deceased were aged 22, 27 and 34 while the ages of the people wounded ranged from 17 to 69.
A post on the official police department on Twitter advised people to avoid the area.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, so far this year there have been 239 mass shootings, which is defined as a shooting in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday called on Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other gun control measures to address the string of mass shootings.
Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic US Senator working on bipartisan gun safety talks, said on Sunday he thinks a package including investments in mental health and school safety and some changes to gun laws can pass Congress.
A broad majority of American voters, both Republicans and Democrats, favour stronger gun control laws, but Republicans in Congress and some moderate Democrats have blocked such legislation for years.
ABC/wires
Posted 14h ago14 hours agoSun 5 Jun 2022 at 7:29pm, updated 3h ago3 hours agoMon 6 Jun 2022 at 6:31am
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