U.S. Surpasses 600 Mass Shootings This Year—Nearing Record Levels
The U.S. surpassed 600 mass shootings so far this year on Monday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, putting 2023 on pace to approach record levels, as mass shootings and deaths continue to spike.
The U.S. is currently on pace for some 700 mass shootings in 2023, according to the Gun Violence ... [+]
CRAIG F. WALKER/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY
KEY FACTS
As of Tuesday morning, there have been 602 mass shootings in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident with at least four injuries or deaths, not including the shooter.The incidents that pushed this year’s total over the 600 mark include a shooting on an interstate in Birmingham, Alabama, Friday that left four people wounded and a mall shooting in Independence, Missouri, that left another four people injured.
On Sunday, a shooter opened fire at a flea market in Pearland, Texas, killing a 10-year-old boy and injuring four others, including two children.
The U.S. is on pace for 700 mass shootings in 2023, the Gun Violence Archive said, based on data from previous years.
KEY BACKGROUND
Mass shootings are near record-breaking levels. The last time the U.S. tallied more than 600 mass shootings by this point in a year was 2021, when the U.S. recorded 620 by November 13 before going on to face a total of 688 by the end of the year, the worst number since the Gun Violence Archive started tracking data in 2014. Shootings so far this year have slightly outpaced the 596 tallied at this point last year and easily surpassed the 554 by this point in 2020. Deaths from mass shootings remain at multi-year highs, too: Some 626 people have been killed in mass shootings so far this year, compared to 584 in 2022, 599 in 2021 and 433 in 2020.Forbes Daily: Get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday.
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