Mass shootings are becoming more frequent during a holiday typically known for fireworks and barbecues, according to a nonprofit that tracks shootings.
There were 80 total mass shootings over the past three years between July 1-7, said Mark Bryant, the executive director of the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit which tracks shootings in the United States.
The GVA defines a “mass shooting” as a shooting that kills or injures four or more people not including the shooter.
There were 25 mass shootings over the July 4th week in 2021, 27 during that week in 2022 and 28 in 2023.
In Hayward, California, on July 4, 2023, a fight escalated between two groups of people in a crowded area where 4th of July celebrations take place — shots rang out and the shooting left six victims injured, according to police. All were eventually released from the hospital, according to local police.
A day later in the nation’s capital, a drive-by shooting in the city’s Northeast quadrant left nine people injured, including two children, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
