According to the Gun Violence Archive, the past weekend was marked by a series of violent incidents across the United States, with a total of 14 mass shootings occurring in just three days. Among them was an incident in Florida. These shootings resulted in the tragic loss of nine lives, while 74 others were left injured.
On Saturday, a man drove up to a splash pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan and fired gunshots, leaving nine people injured, ranging from ages 4 to 78, according to the police report. Shockingly, this was just one of three mass shootings that occurred in the state that day. Another tragic event took place in Round Rock, Texas, where two people were killed and 14 bystanders were wounded during a Juneteenth celebration after gunfire erupted between two groups. Moreover, a drive-by shooting in Fort Lauderdale on Friday resulted in one person losing their life and four others being injured.
Mass shootings have been reported in several states including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
FBI reports violent crime down from 2023
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there have been 227 mass shootings so far this year, which is a decrease from the 310 recorded by this time last year. The GVA defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed in a single event, excluding the shooter. The organization does not make distinctions based on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The FBI made an announcement last week regarding the decrease in violent crimes so far this year. According to the agency’s 2024 Quarterly Crime Report and Use-of-Force Data Update, preliminary reports show a significant decrease in murder by 26.4%, rape by 25.7%, robbery by 17.8%, and aggravated assault by 12.5% compared to 2023.
In 2023, there was a significant decrease in deaths and injuries caused by gun violence, with an overall 8-10% drop compared to the previous year. Additionally, the FBI reported a decrease in violent crime, robberies, and burglary rates in the same year.
The recent news reports that Governor DeSantis had called for the repeal of the bump stock ban. However, the Supreme Court has now struck it down.
Florida has most mass shootings in U.S. this year
According to data from GVA, Florida continues to maintain its position as the state with the highest number of mass shootings in the country. In 2024, there have been a total of 18 mass shootings in Florida, which is two more than the number reported during the same period last year.
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), Illinois has the second-highest number of mass shootings in 2024 with a total of 16 incidents. The most recent shooting in Chicago, which left three men and a woman injured, marked the beginning of another weekend of gun violence in the city. As per ABC7, the weekend saw at least 42 people getting shot and seven fatalities. Both California and Texas have had 15 mass shootings each, as reported by the GVA.
According to data from the FBI, violent crime in America is on a significant decline. However, President Trump has made statements contradicting this information.
How many people have died so far from gun violence in the US in 2024?
As of the morning of June 17, based on GVA data:
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- 7,709 people have died, including 105 children and 548 teens.
- 14,603 people have been injured, including 263 children and 1,517 teens.
- 211 law enforcement officers have been killed or injured.
- Law enforcement officers have killed 681 people and injured 393 in officer-involved incidents, the only category the GVA lists where the fatalities outnumber the injured.
- 574 people were killed in self-defense.
- 642 people died from unintentional shootings.
- 309 people died in murder/suicide incidents.
According to recent reports, the GVA has decided to halt the reporting of total suicide deaths for the time being. This decision has been made in light of the need to acquire more accurate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How many mass shootings in 2024 happened in Florida?
According to the GVA definition, Florida has witnessed a total of 18 mass shootings this year.
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- Jan. 20, Plantation: Four people were injured in a shooting in front of a Best Buy. One person later died.
- Jan. 20, Palm Bay: A man shot and killed his mother, grandfather and sister and injured his 15-year-old nephew and one other person.
- Jan. 28, Palm Bay: A man shot and killed a priest, the priest’s sister, and his own grandfather and injured two police officers.
- Feb. 28: Orlando: An argument over when a vehicle was to be returned resulted in one person killed and six injured.
- March 12, Lawty: Man with knife wound accused of shooting and killing three women.
- March 25, Pompano Beach: A 16-year-old boy and three men were shot by multiple suspects who approached them, deputies said.
- March 31, St. Petersburg: Men arguing outside a restaurant opened fire, injuring three men in their 20s and a 17-year-old girl, police said.
- April 5, Riviera Beach: Four injured in shooting, including a minor.
- April 6, Doral: Man in bar disturbance shoots and kills security officer, six people injured in resulting firefight.
- April 11, Orlando: Deputies responded to a call and found four men shot. One died later.
- April 27, Daytona Beach: A man shot and injured four people during a “physical altercation.”
- April 28, Sanford: A 16-year-old shot and injured 10 people at a bar, including Houston Texans’ WR Tank Dell.
- April 29, Miami Gardens: Argument about teen fight leaves five people injured, including two teens.
- May 12, Tallahassee: Four people shot in shopping center parking lot, two died.
- May 25, Fort Pierce:Five people aged 15-20 shot at gathering.
- May 18, Sarasota: One person killed, four people (including Auburn RB Brian Battie) were injured.
- June 2, Pensacola: One person was shot in the foot and three others hit with shrapnel from gunire, police said.
- June 14, Fort Lauderdale: An apparent drive-by shooting left one person dead and four injured.
How many mass shootings happened in Florida in 2023?
In 2023, there were 30 reported mass shootings in Florida, a slight decrease from the previous years of 2022 and 2021, where 31 incidents were reported each year. This is also a notable decline from the 35 mass shootings that occurred in 2020. Sadly, these incidents resulted in 134 injuries and the loss of 38 lives.
What is considered a mass shooting?
Depending on the source, the definition can vary.
According to the GVA and the Congressional Research Service, a mass shooting is defined as an incident where four or more people, excluding the shooter, are shot.
According to USA TODAY, a mass shooting occurs when gunfire hits a minimum of four individuals, regardless of whether or not there are any fatalities. On the other hand, a mass killing is an event in which at least four individuals lose their lives.
According to the FBI, the term “mass shooting” is not clearly defined. Instead, the agency uses the definitions of “mass murder” or “mass killing” to describe incidents in which four or more individuals are intentionally killed, which may involve the use of firearms.
According to the FBI’s report on active shooter incidents in 2020, there were 40 shootings. However, this number is significantly lower than the total of 610 mass shootings reported by the GVA. It’s important to note that the FBI’s report excludes incidents that involve self-defense, gang violence, drug violence, domestic disputes, hostage scenarios, crossfire during another criminal act, and actions that don’t appear to have endangered other individuals. In contrast, the GVA includes all gun violence-related injuries and fatalities, regardless of the circumstances.
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), the numbers they provide may not match with those of the FBI or CDC, as they gather data from multiple sources such as law enforcement, government, and media. There have been disagreements from firearm organizations regarding the accuracy of GVA’s data. While the CDC relies on death certificates for gun-related deaths, the GVA collects information from various sources. Both the FBI and CDC extrapolate their numbers from a sample of cases, whereas the GVA does not include incidents that cannot be verified.
