The US has witnessed several instances of mass shootings and in recent past has seen an increase in such incidents
On October 1, 2017, a lively music festival in Las Vegas turned into a nightmare when a gunman opened fire on the crowd enjoying the show. Stephen Paddock opened fire on a nearly 22,000 strong crowd from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino. The tragedy claimed the lives of 58 people, while around 500 were wounded. Following the tragedy, Paddock turned the gun on himself. The attack, which sent shock waves around the world has been termed as the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the US.
The United States, which is home to 88 guns for every 100 people, is witnessing gun violence at an alarming frequency. As per a figure by the Gun Violence Archive, as of October 5, 2017, a total of 275 mass shootings have already taken place in the United States. Meanwhile, in 2016, a total of 483 shootings took place.
Following the Las Vegas shooting, the Orlando tragedy has been pushed to the second position among the deadliest mass shootings in the country. The shooting which took place at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, claimed the lives of 49 people and injured 53. 29-year-old Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, who carried out the carnage, was later shot dead by the police.
On November 5, 2017, a gunman went on a shooting spree at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small community located in the state of Texas. At least 26 people were reported killed. This is one of the worst incidents of mass shootings in the state of Texas. The gunman has been identified as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, a former air force employee who was discharged from service on charges of bad conduct. Kelley walked towards the church dressed in all black tactical gear and opened fire on the worshipers. After the carnage, Kelley was engaged by a local resident who had a rifle; however, he fled in a car. After a brief chase, the shooter was found dead in the car. The cause of the gunman’s death is not clear.
On February 15, 2018, a shooting incident took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. At least 17 people were killed and more than 15 people were injured in this incident. Nikolas Cruz, who was a former student at the school carried out the shooting and was reported to be very disturbed. The shooting rampage at the school has re-ignited the debate regarding gun control.
On December 2, 2015, a man and a woman went on a shooting spree at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. The shooting witnessed the death of 14 people and 20 were injured. The shooters managed to escape but died in a shootout with the police later on.
Just five days prior to the above incident, on November 27, 2015, Robert Lewis Dear had killed three people in a Planned Parenthood health clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
On October 1, 2015, 10 people were killed and seven injured when 26-year-old Christopher Harper-Mercer went on a shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. Following a gunfight with the police, the gunman killed himself.
In a shooting inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, nine African-American church members were killed when 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The gunman has been sentenced to death. The shooting took place on June 17, 2015.
In a shooting and stabbing spree 22-year-old college student, Elliot Rodger, killed six people near the University of California, Santa Barbara, campus. The shooting took place on May 23, 2014.
On August 5, 2012, a gunman went on a rampage at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Six people were killed in the incident, while four others were wounded. All of those killed belonged to the Sikh community. The gunman was identified as 40-year-old Wade Michael Page, an American white supremacist. Page was also an Army veteran from Cudahy, a city in the Milwaukee County of Wisconsin. After the carnage, Page shot himself in the head.
These are just a few mass shooting incidents of the many that have rocked the United States in the past many years. Know more about American History.
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