Six killed in spate of shooting over the weekend in the US | Gun Violence News

Shootings come amid rise in homicides over the past years which accelerated during the COVID pandemic, experts say.

At least six people have been killed and dozens injured in a spate of weekend shootings and violence across the United States.

The shootings took place in suburban Chicago, Washington state, central Pennsylvania, St Louis, southern California and Baltimore.

Willowbrook, Illinois

At least 23 people were shot, one fatally, early on Sunday in a suburban Chicago car park where hundreds had gathered to celebrate Juneteenth, an annual commemoration marking the emancipation of African American slaves.

The DuPage County sheriff’s office described the incident as a “peaceful gathering” that suddenly turned violent as a number of people fired multiple shots into the crowd in Willowbrook, Illinois, about 32km (20 miles) southwest of Chicago.

Washington state

Two people were killed and two injured when an attacker began firing “randomly” into a crowd at a campground in Grant county, Washington state, where many people were staying to attend a music festival on Saturday night, police said.

The suspect was shot in a confrontation with law enforcement officers and taken into custody hundreds of metres from the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival.

Central Pennsylvania

One state trooper was killed and another critically wounded just hours apart in central Pennsylvania on Saturday after a gunman attacked a state police barracks.

The suspect drove his truck into the car park of the Lewistown barracks at about 11am on Saturday and opened fire with a large-calibre rifle on marked patrol cars before fleeing, authorities said on Sunday.

Lt James Wagner, 45, was critically wounded when he was shot after encountering the suspect several miles away in Mifflintown. Later, Trooper Jacques Rougeau Jr, 29, was shot dead through the windshield of his patrol car as he drove down a road in nearby Walker Township, authorities said.

The suspect was shot dead after a fierce gun battle.

Saint Louis

An early Sunday shooting in a downtown St Louis office building killed a 17-year-old and wounded nine other teenagers.

St Louis Metropolitan Police Commissioner Robert Tracy identified the victim killed as Makao Moore. A spokesman said a minor who had a handgun was in police custody as a “person of interest”.

Teenagers were having a party in an office space when the shooting broke out early on Sunday.

The victims were aged between 15 and 19 and had injuries including multiple gunshot wounds. A 17-year-old was trampled as she fled, seriously injuring her spine.

Southern California

A shooting at a pool party at a Southern California home left eight people wounded.

The age of those injured is between 16 and 24, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. They were taken to hospitals and two were listed in critical condition, the statement said.

Authorities said they found another 16-year-old with a gunshot wound when they responded to a call about a vehicle that crashed into a wall nearby.

Baltimore

Six people were injured in a Friday night shooting in Baltimore.

Officers heard gunshots in the north of the city and found three men with numerous gunshot wounds.

Police later learned of three additional victims who walked into area hospitals with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

The wounded ranged in age from 17 to 26, Baltimore Police Department spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge said.