July Fourth and Fifth have the most mass shootings of any days of the year

By CNN

Published July 4, 2023 2:38 pm

CNN, WJZ, KTVT, WFAA, WBFF

By Alex Leeds Matthews and Dakin Andone, CNN

(CNN) — Mass shootings, like the ones that occurred Monday in Philadelphia and Fort Worth, Texas – and over the weekend in Baltimore — are not uncommon around the Fourth of July. The holiday has accounted for the most mass shootings of any other days of the year in nearly a decade, according to a CNN analysis of the Gun Violence Archive’s mass shooting data since 2014.

Both CNN and GVA define a “mass shooting” as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.

So far, there have been at least 10 mass shootings on July 4 and 5, according to GVA. Much of the information about each shooting is preliminary, and the details – about the number or nature of the injuries, for example – could change as police investigate. Here’s what we know about some of them:

July 4

Akron, Ohio: 4 injured

Four people were injured in a shooting just after midnight Tuesday at the Mason Park Community Center, CNN affiliate WEWS reported. Authorities believe shots were fired by one or more individuals during a party in the parking lot, based on a preliminary investigation. Captain David Laughlin of the Akron Police Department told the station that, at first, most people at the gathering didn’t recognize the sound of gunfire, thinking it was fireworks “until the victims realized they were struck.” Three 18-year-old women and one 19-year-old man were taken to the hospital. All are expected to recover, WEWS reported.

Edgewood, Maryland: 4 injured

Three men and one juvenile suffered non-fatal injuries as a result of a shooting Tuesday afternoon near Harr Park Court in Edgewood, a community about 28 miles northeast of Baltimore, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded at 4:12 p.m., the sheriff’s office said on Twitter, adding the investigation remains ongoing.

Shreveport, Louisiana: 4 killed, 7 wounded
Eleven people were shot, four of them fatally, in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, Tuesday night, according to local officials. Officers responded to the scene around 11:45 p.m. and found a large crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate July Fourth, Shreveport Police spokeswoman Sgt. Angie Willhite said, confirming three people had died. A fourth person was found dead Wednesday morning, according to police.

Lansing, Michigan: 5 injured

Five people were injured in a shooting at a party around 2 a.m. Tuesday in Lansing, Michigan, CNN affiliate WILX reported. All five were men in their 20s, the station said, two of whom are in critical condition. The investigation remains ongoing.

Hayward, California: 5 wounded

Five people were shot Tuesday in Hayward, California, according to Hayward Police Officer Cassondra Fovel, who said a suspect was also shot and is in police custody. The shooting is under investigation, police said, adding the area where the shooting occurred is usually crowded for July Fourth celebrations. Details about the medical conditions of the five victims were not immediately available.

July 5

Washington, DC: 9 injured

Nine people — including a 9-year-old and 17-year-old — suffered non-life-threatening injuries shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday during a July Fourth celebration in the Northeast part of the nation’s capital, Metropolitan Police said. At least one person fired the shots from a dark-colored SUV, according to Assistant Chief Leslie Parson, appearing to target those who were struck. Several victims were taken to hospitals by first responders, while others went on their own. Information about whether any suspects had been identified was not immediately available.

On a holiday where Americans gather to celebrate their country’s history and culture, gun violence has been woven into that story, with mass shootings spiking over the Fourth of July holiday in recent years.

Since 2014, only four dates have seen mass shootings in the double digits in a single day – three occurred over the three most recent July Fourth holiday weekends in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Summer days overall have higher numbers of mass shootings than other times of the year, according to CNN’s analysis. Of the top 10 calendar days with the highest number of mass shootings since 2014, all but one — New Year’s Day — was in June, July or August.

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