Bloody 4th weekend: 500 shootings leave 233 people dead across nation

Over the Fourth of July weekend at least 233 people were killed and 618 were wounded in more than 500 shootings across the country, according to Gun Violence Archive.

In Chicago, 100 people were shot and 18 died, Chicago police said. Among the victims were teens and children, including a 13-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl who remains in critical condition, and a 6-year-old girl.

On Monday morning, two Chicago police officers were shot as they dispersed a large crowd. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said the officers “will be all right.” So far this year, at least 33 Chicago officers have been shot.

In New York City, at least 35 people were shot and at least two died, with at least four murders overall. Last year, during the same period, the NYPD recorded 55 shooting incidents, 78 shooting victims and 16 homicides.

Over the Fourth weekend, Gun Violence Archive counted 14 mass shootings – incidents in which at least four people are shot – more than any other weekend this year.

Across the nation, homicides have risen in major cities where police have been underfunded and have taken a less aggressive approach to fighting crime in what has been dubbed the “Minneapolis Effect.”

A chart of homicide data compiled from 19 cities showed a spike in murders immediately after the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day in May 2020.

On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pushed back against the Democrats new effort to blame Republicans for defunding the police, calling it a desperate ploy to escape blame for rising crime rates.

In an op-ed for Fox News, he likened the Democrats’ charge to “an arsonist showing up as the fire’s blazing and blaming the firemen.”

Democrats emphasize gun control in response to the rise in shootings, while Republicans argue the big Democratic-run cities such as Chicago with the highest rates have among the strictist gun laws. Democrats counter with the argument that guns are being brought to Chicago’s streets from neighboring states with less stringent laws.

A new poll by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce found more than 40% of the city’s residents are considering leaving in the next few years due to rising crime and a deteriorating quality of life. A vast majority support increasing the number of police officers.

Residents of Atlanta’s richest neighborhood have filed papers to secede from the city and set up their own police force. Mayor Keisha Bottoms’ “woke” policies have weakened the police force and emboldened criminals, they argue. In December, Bottoms admitted she didn’t know how to stop the wave of violence and was “open to suggestions.”

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