July 14th 2023.
It has been a devastating six months for the United States. According to a database maintained by the Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University, at least 140 people have been killed in mass killings since January 1, making it the deadliest six months of mass shootings in over 15 years.
The database defines mass killings as intentional killings of four or more victims by any means within a 24-hour period. It does not include the shooter, or any unborn children. The Gun Violence Archive maintains a similar database, but their qualifications for what qualifies as a mass shooting are slightly broader. They define it as a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident.
Using this definition, the GVA has identified a total of 375 mass shootings in 2023 so far, with a staggering total of 377 people killed as of July 14th. The archive also estimates that around 20,000 Americans have been injured by firearms this year. Last year, the GVA recorded a grand total of 647 mass shootings for the entire year – a number that was slightly down from the 690 mass shootings in 2021.
Researchers have estimated that mass killings have been happening once every 6.53 days in 2023. If the US maintains this pace, they are on track to meet or exceed last year’s total of 42. James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern who maintains the database, said: ‘We used to say there were two to three dozen a year. The fact that there’s 28 in half a year is a staggering statistic.’
The violence is heartbreaking and must be addressed. We must come together as a nation to make sure that these tragedies do not become part of our everyday lives.
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