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Gun violence during the week of July 4 declined in 2024, but is still above 2019 levels

The number of people killed and/or injured in shootings in the United States during the week of July 4th has decreased this year compared to 2023. This is the fourth consecutive year that gun violence around July 4th has declined compared to the previous year, according to a count by the Gun Violence Archive.

Still, this week saw a spike in shootings compared to other weeks of the year. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 340 people were killed and 756 injured between July 1 and July 7, for a total of 1,096 shooting victims across the U.S. In 2023, 451 people were shot and killed and another 1,130 injured in the U.S. during the week of July 4. These numbers exclude those who died by suicide.

The archive also recorded 20 mass shootings — shootings in which four or more people are shot and/or killed, not including the shooter — during the week of July 4 this year. That’s down from 28 a year ago.

Chicago, where gun violence has spiked this year, saw the most shootings and deaths during the 2024 holiday season. More than 100 people have been shot and 19 killed since Wednesday, according to Chicago police, representing a 91% increase in the number of shooting victims from last year.

In 2022, the Illinois suburb of Highland Park was the scene of a devastating mass shooting that left seven people dead and dozens more injured when a gunman opened fire on the Independence Day parade on July 4This parade returned this year for the first time since the shooting.

Milwaukee had the second highest number of shootings of any U.S. city during the week, with 23, while Detroit was third with 21. However, Detroit had more shooting victims than Milwaukee, with 42 compared to 28.

The Gun Violence Archive recorded shootings in 46 states during the week of the Fourth of July. Due to the gun violence in Chicago, Illinois recorded the most shootings of any state during Christmas week this year, with a total of 100 shootings. California also had a relatively high number of shootings this year (68), which is not surprising given that it is the most populous state in the US. Texas had the third most shootings, with 53.

The number of gunshot fatalities during the week of July 4 has decreased every year since 2020, but is still above 2019 levels. That year, there were a total of 1,177 casualties, 318 dead and another 859 injured. Then in 2020, the numbers skyrocketed, when 536 people were killed and 1,172 injured, for a total of 1,708 gunshot fatalities.

The Gun Violence Archive also recorded 34 mass shootings in 2020, the highest number in the past six years and a significant increase from the 18 cases in 2019.

In the United States, gun violence also declined slightly overall in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year. From January 1 to June 30 last year, 9,683 people were killed and 18,630 injured in shootings. During the same period this year, 8,539 people were killed and another 16,192 injured.

— Erin Cauchi and Anna Schechter contributed reporting.