At least three people were killed and another 23 injured in mass shootings across five municipalities on the 4th of July, according to the non-profit Gun Violence Archive.
Mass shootings occurred in Lansing, Michigan; Charlotte, North Carolina; Shreveport, Louisiana; Edgewood, Maryland; and Akron, Ohio as the United States celebrated Independence Day.
The Gun Violence Archive defines mass shootings as four or more people killed or injured by gunfire. The site notes that there have been at least 350 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year—including one incident as of the morning of Wednesday, July 5 in Washington DC, in which nine more people, including a 9-year-old, were injured by gunfire.
Five mass shootings is the average for what the United States has been enduring each Independence Day during the past decade—more than any other day of the year.
Over the past decade there have been more than 50 mass shootings on the July 4th holiday, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
However, July 3 this year exceeded July 4th with six mass shootings on the eve of Independence Day, including one in Philadelphia where a gunman armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and wearing a bullet-proof vest killed at least five people and injured a 13-year-old and a 2-year-old.
While data shows that firearm homicide rates decreased in 2022, and the Gun Violence Archive has also documented a 5% decrease in gun violence deaths and injuries so far this year, the site also notes a 14% increase in mass shootings so far in 2023.
Researchers are also documenting frequent episodes of gunfire on school grounds along with armed robberies, carjackings and road rage involving gunfire.
