Shootings and other violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend have left at least 20 people dead, including 11 in Chicago, and injured dozens more nationwide, authorities said.
The Fourth of July historically is one of the nation’s deadliest days of the year. A flurry of shootings around the holiday a year ago left more than a dozen people dead and over 60 wounded. And a year before that, a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade left seven people dead near Chicago.
Violence and mass shootings often increase in the summer months, with more people gathering for social events, teens out of school and hotter temperatures.
Multiple deaths in Chicago, beach closes early
In Chicago alone, 11 people had been killed and 55 had been wounded in shootings as of Friday morning during the extended July Fourth weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. That violence included a mass shooting on Thursday that killed two women and an 8-year-old boy.
Police said eight people were wounded in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood shortly after midnight Friday. About 90 minutes later, a shooting in the city’s Austin neighborhood injured six people. Police said preliminary findings suggest the separate shootings involved an exchange of gunfire between two people who then fled.
Recent violence at a popular Lake Michigan beach in Chicago prompted officials to close it early each night through the holiday weekend as a precaution. The 31st Street Beach has been the scene of recent stabbings and shootings.
Southern California violence
In Huntington Beach, California, two people were killed and three others injured in an Independence Day attack less than two hours after a fireworks show ended, police said. Authorities arrested a suspect after responding to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon Thursday night.
15-year-old boy arrested in Niles, Ohio shooting, 10-year-old girl dies in Cleveland
In the northeastern Ohio community of Niles, Police Chief Jay Holland said a 15-year-old male was in custody after a 23-year-old male was fatally shot Thursday night at a Fourth of July party at a residence.
And a 10-year-old girl was fatally shot in a Cleveland neighborhood, police said. It’s not yet known what sparked the shooting or if she was targeted.
Fatal drive-by shooting in Philadelphia
A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were wounded in a drive-by shooting in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
The wounded, which included four juveniles, were being treated at hospitals for various injuries that were not considered life-threatening. It’s not known yet what prompted the shooting.
Boston-area shootings leave 1 dead, 5 wounded
Three shootings occurred in the Boston area following the city’s Fourth of July celebrations, leaving one man dead. The fatal shooting occurred about 1:30 a.m. Friday in a park near Boston’s South End neighborhood. At about the same time three other individuals were wounded in a shooting in the city’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. A third shooting at a gas station later left a victim with life-threatening injuries.
A 17-year-old male suffered a stomach wound in another shooting at about 9 p.m. Thursday in a condominium parking lot in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
Connecticut woman fatally shot in car
In Hartford, Connecticut, a woman who was found shot in her car early Friday was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police identified her as Shamyria Williams, 23, of Hartford. Relatives told reporters they believed she had just left a Fourth of July party.
Earlier, police said they were called to a Hartford hospital where a vehicle dropped off a 19-year-old man who had been shot and is now listed in critical condition. On Wednesday night, a man in his 20s arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds after being picked up by an ambulance as he was trying to walk to the hospital. Police said they don’t believe those shootings were connected.
Six teens shot at home in Albany, New York
Police in Albany, New York, said six teenagers were being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening after a shooting at a large gathering at a home. The victims were males ranging in age from 16 to 19.
Police responded to reports of a shooting at the home around 12:15 a.m. Friday. None of the victims were found at the scene but police said they located evidence consistent with gunfire in the yard behind the residence and in the street.
One teenager who had been shot flagged down officers along a street a short time later, police said.
Tampa nightclub shooting wounds 4
Four people were wounded in a shooting early Friday outside a Tampa adult nightclub after an altercation between the club’s security guard and two men, police said
The two men drove their car to the front of the Pink Pussycat Lounge and one of them shot the security guard with a handgun, police said. The security guard underwent surgery at a hospital and was in stable condition. Three other men who were not involved in the altercation suffered unspecified minor injuries. Police said both suspects were arrested and charged with several crimes.
Earlier Thursday, a police officer serving a warrant in Cleveland and an armed person making threats in Yellowstone National Park were among those killed in other shootings.
Shooting at unofficial fireworks display in North Carolina kills 1
In High Point, North Carolina, a shooting at an unofficial fireworks display left one person dead after a large crowd had gathered in the parking lot of the city about 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of Raleigh, police said.
The victim was identified as Keith S. Lynch, 32. Police didn’t immediately release information on what led to the shooting.
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Associated Press reporters Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey, Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, Steve LeBlanc in Boston, Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Karen Matthews in New York City contributed to this report.
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