Firing in America: In another shocking shooting incident in the United States, a gunman opened fire in Philadelphia on Monday night (July 3), killing four people and injuring two others. According to the police, the criminal was wearing a bulletproof jacket and was later arrested.
Addressing a press conference, Police Commissioner Daniel Outlaw said that all the victims were male. He further stated that the suspect had several magazines, an “AR-type rifle”, a handgun and a police scanner. “At this point, all we know is that this individual decided to leave his home and target individuals,” Outlaw said.
The shooting came a day after a shooting at a block party over the holiday weekend in Baltimore, about 160 km to the southwest, left 28 people injured and two dead. According to officials, the injured in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half of them minors.
Read also: America: 2 killed, 28 injured in mass shooting in Baltimore
Philadelphia violence is nation’s 29th mass murder this year
It should be mentioned here that the Philadelphia violence is the nation’s 29th mass murder in 2023, according to a database created by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
So far this year, the country has seen the highest ever number of mass killings and deaths in a single year. According to the database, there have been more than 550 mass killing incidents since 2006, killing at least 2,900 and injuring at least 2,000.
(with input from AP)