The Halloween weekend was marred by multiple shootings across the US that left at least eight people dead and more than 50 others wounded.
In Texarkana, Texas, a party on Saturday night turned deadly when rifles were drawn during a brawl. Three people died and three others were injured in the shooting. The police are still looking for the suspected shooter, a 20-year-old male.
In Indianapolis, a large party around midnight on Saturday also ended in bloodshed. One woman was killed and eight others were injured by gunfire. The victims were all between 16 and 22 years old, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan police. Several people were detained for questioning and multiple firearms were found on the scene.
In Wichita, Kansas, a gunman entered a nightclub and opened fire, killing one person and injuring two others. The perpetrator remains at large, and authorities in Wichita are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282 or provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
In Tampa, Florida, a gun fight erupted during Halloween festivities on Saturday, killing at least two people and sending 18 others to the hospital. In Lake Charles, Louisiana, six teenagers aged 15 to 19 were shot at a house party, leaving one of them in critical condition, local authorities said.
The US is facing a severe problem of gun violence, which is influenced by factors such as easy access to firearms, poor gun control laws, racial injustice, social and economic issues.
Despite the alarming number of mass shootings in 2023, which has reached at least 579, lawmakers have failed to enact stricter federal gun regulations.
Chicago, the third largest city in the US, witnessed at least 25 people injured and one dead by shootings over the weekend. The worst mass shooting occurred at a Halloween party in North Lawndale, a neighborhood in south-west Chicago, where at least 15 people were hurt and two of them critically wounded.
The victims were six women aged between 26 and 32, and nine men aged between 26 and 52. One witness told local news media that the shooting happened just after 1am when a fight broke out and the alleged shooter was denied re-entry into the party.
“He came back and put his arm through the door and started shooting,” said Andre Williams.
The police arrested a male suspect who was carrying a handgun while trying to flee the scene on foot. The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier on Saturday, four people were injured in a drive-by mass shooting as they were leaving a gathering. In another shooting in the city, a man was fatally wounded. Chicago has a high rate of firearm homicide compared to other major cities in the US.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, at least 15,704 people have been killed by gun violence in the US this year, while almost 31,000 others have suffered non-fatal gunshot injuries. The tragic death toll includes 1421 children.