Why the US sees a surge in mass shootings on Fourth of July

Gun violence isn’t a new phenomenon in America. Almost every day, stories emerge of shootings that take place in the country. However, a closer look at the violence shows a dangerous pattern – the Fourth of July, when Americans celebrate their independence from Britain – is also a day when US sees an uptick in gun violence.This year, the trend, unfortunately, held true. In Baltimore, 30 people were shot – two fatally – at a block party; in Louisiana, three were killed and another 10 were injured during an American Independence Day bash. A seven-year-old was also shot dead in Tampa after two groups gathered along a causeway for Independence Day started to fight. And nine others were injured when bullets were sprayed from a car in the nation’s capital.But what makes Americans so trigger happy on their Day of Freedom? Why is it that the Fourth of July celebrations often turn deadly?When Fourth of July holiday turns bloodyThis year alone, the US reported multiple mass shootings – described as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter – over the Fourth of July extended holiday. According to Gun Violence Archive, that tracks mass shootings across the US, there were at least 10 mass shootings on 4 and 5 July.According to reports, four people were injured in a shooting in the early hours of 4 July at the t the Mason Park Community Center in Akron, Ohio. CNN citing authorities said that shots were fired by one or more individuals during a party in the parking lot, based on a preliminary investigation.Next was the incident from Edgewood, Maryland where another four were injured as a result of a shooting.On Tuesday night, Shreveport in Louisiana saw 11 people being shot, four of them fatally, during a July Fourth bash. And the situation was no different in Michigan’s Lansing where the police reported five people being wounded in a shooting.[caption id="attachment_12835512" align="alignnone" width="640"] Crime scene tape and abandoned shoes discarded on Pearl Street are shown, 5 July 5 in Shreveport, which was the scene of a mass shooting. At least three people were killed and 10 others were wounded. AP[/caption]Five other people were shot in Hayward, California, according to Hayward Police Officer Cassondra Fovel, who said a suspect was also shot and was in police custody. The shooting took place in an area which was crowded for July Fourth celebrations.The trend of shootings continued the following day too with Washington reporting an incident in which nine people – including a nine-year-old and 17-year-old — suffered non-life-threatening injuries.Also read: A look at the worst mass shootings in the US this yearExperts have noted that this year’s mass shootings during the American Independence Day holiday were far lesser than those in previous years. According to Gun Violence Archive, in the previous year, 22 people were killed and 128 were injured in 23 mass shootings nationwide over a Friday-to-Tuesday stretch that included 4 July. In 2021, 18 people were killed and 96 injured in 22 mass shootings during the same timeframe, and in 2020, there were 29 mass shootings that killed 27 people and injured 128 more during that stretch.James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, has analysed the data of mass shootings on the Fourth of July over the past decade and has found that there have been 52 such incidents.[caption id="attachment_12835552" align="alignnone" width="640"] A resident listens to a prayer gathering at the site of the mass shooting in the Southern District of Baltimore. AP[/caption]Cause for the gun violenceBut what makes the Fourth July holiday a risky day? There are a number of factors that contribute to the rise in gun violence – ranging from large gatherings, hot weather, consumption of alcohol and also the general lax in gun control across the country.Fox explains the situation the best. Speaking to The Guardian, he says, “When you have block parties, for example, people are going there with guns in their pockets, and then they can get into an argument over trivial things, which can lead to gunfire, and it’s a large gathering like a block party or a party, lots of people get shot in the crossfire.”That’s what happened last year in Chicago suburb of Highland Park. A gunman opened fire from a rooftop on a Fourth of July parade, killing seven people and injuring another 48.The heat is another driver for the rise in mass shootings. Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government explains that scientifically it has been shown that people get angrier faster in hot conditions and this could lead to people getting trigger-happy.[caption id="attachment_12835592" align="alignnone" width="640"] Police on the scene of a shooting Monday in Philadelphia. Police say a gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing several people and wounding two boys before he surrendered to responding officers. AP[/caption]“We know that homicide tends to spike in summer months to begin with, and they’re usually highest around July and August,” Schildkraut said to The Guardian. “There’s a lot of people who are gathered in large groups in typically open spaces, which we know tend to be characteristic of mass shootings, as well. We also know, of course, when you add in things like alcohol and other potential influences … all together, it kind of creates a perfect storm where things are going to go bad pretty quickly.”There’s also the problem of policing such events. Law enforcement officials have to maintain the balance of the right of revellers to gather and the impending threat of violence. “In many ways, their hands are tied because these types of events are often on private property and people may not do anything to violate the law until someone brandishes a firearm and starts shooting,” Tom Nolan, a former Boston police officer, told the Associated Press. “So can the police do anything to prevent that? I just think it’s an extraordinary challenge for them to be all places at all times and anticipate things that none of us are expecting.”James Densley, the co-founder of the Violence Project, which also tracks gun violence, also observed that mass shootings rise during the Fourth of July holiday is also because more individuals have access to high-powered tactical rifles and high-capacity magazines, as well as a general trend of some people having a “lower threshold” for when they plan to use their weapons.[caption id="attachment_12835672" align="alignnone" width="640"] A visitor prays at a memorial to the seven people killed and others injured in the Fourth of July mass shooting at the Highland Park War Memorial in Highland Park, last year. AP[/caption]Gun violence prevails in USGun violence in America continues to be a scourge this year; there have been more than 300 mass shootings in which four or more victims were hit by gunfire in 2023, up 14 per cent year over year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.Also read: America’s Darkest Side: How gun violence claims 114 lives on an average every dayUS president Joe Biden has repeatedly condemned the violence, calling the recent incidents “senseless”. In a statement, he said: “Our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings.”White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also condemned the gun violence on Wednesday, urging Congress to pass a ban on so-called assault weapons and placing blame on the proliferation of guns in the US.But despite calls from the White House, parents and families, the violence continues and Americans keep getting shot.With inputs from agencies