After Uvalde massacre, 9 killed and more than 70 wounded in mass shootings over Memorial Day weekend
Less than a week after an elementary school massacre in Texas, nine people were killed and several dozen were injured in multiple mass shootings over Memorial Day weekend, according to the latest numbers collected by the Gun Violence Archive.
The online archive tracks incidents of gun violence in the U.S., including mass shootings, which it defines as having at least four victims shot, injured or killed by gunfire – not counting the shooter. The Gun Violence Archive said there were 15 mass shootings between 5 p.m. on Friday and 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to its collection of data, nine people were killed and 73 were injured in those shootings. The numbers are an uptick from last year, when eight were killed and 46 were injured in Memorial Day weekend mass shootings, according to the archive's records.
In its count of total gun violence incidents, not just mass shootings, there were 179 killed and 463 injured over the holiday weekend. Among them, nine people were killed and 41 were wounded across Chicago, CBS Chicago reports
The numbers come a week after a gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Residents who would normally be celebrating the first full week of summer vacation are now attending funerals instead. The shooting has inspired debate over gun rights – and calls from gun violence survivors and gun reform advocates to enact change.
A bipartisan group of senators met virtually Tuesday to hold discuss over revised "red flag" legislation. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal are making progress on the issue, CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reported. At this stage, their updated proposal would focus on establishing federal grants for states to create or bolster red flag laws – which enable law enforcement officials to temporarily seize firearms from individuals seen as a threat to themselves or other people, if given a court order to do so.
for more features.