“Mass Shooting Tracker: four or more persons shot in one incident, at one location, at roughly the same time.”¹

The invasion of Ukraine began on February 24^th 2022. In the USA, on that day, there were two mass shootings with four dead and four wounded. Americans routinely experience indiscriminate violence. Lethal attacks generate headlines but woundings are very significant. They’re a multiple of the death count with huge numbers of victims. Random attacks are intimidating, leaving the wounded with life-changing effects. Nonetheless, many Americans find gun ownership life-affirming and celebrate possession of them.²

A Christmas card produced for a Republican politician

The first ten months of the Ukrainian war caused 6,430 civilian deaths and 9,865 wounded.³ Meanwhile the USA’s Supreme Court legitimised ‘open carry’ of loaded weapons on American streets. From 23^rd June 2022, walking on American streets with loaded battlefield weapons was legal. This landmark case was brought by New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen

“For the first time, the court recognized an individual right to carry loaded guns in public.” (my emphasis)⁴ And the result?

Open carry is legal for loaded weapons as from Summer 2022 in the USA

In the week beginning 24^th February 2022 there were 61 victims of mass shootings in the USA,¹ with 15 dead and 46 wounded. The following week 47 people were attacked with five deaths and 42 wounded. These were the result of 25 separate incidents across America. December 2022 ended with a week in which there were nine mass shootings leaving 52 victims including five dead.⁶ These three weeks had 34 incidents with 160 victims and 25 deaths: a ratio of about 6:1. Wounded victims are ignored or downplayed in press reports, despite the horror.

The Ukrainian mayhem is understandable: They’re at war! American shootings are meaningless. The attack described below occurred during the Independence Day weekend, 2023,

“The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, appeared on Wednesday in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for arraignment on five counts of murder and other charges related to the Monday evening rampage, which appeared to be random….[he] wore a bullet-proof vest and a ski mask during the shooting, officials said. They added he had no apparent connection with any of the victims he gunned down, apparently at random, before being taken into custody.”⁷ (my emphasis)

Carriker was geared up for a battlefield except he was killing unarmed civilians on a street in Philadelphia.⁸

Mass shootings are a consequence of empty minded thrill-seeking psychopaths with easy, legitimate, access to guns. Mass murder as entertainment.

Addendum: Graph of shootings in the USA

Notes

1 List of mass shootings in the United States in 2022 – Wikipedia There are several definitions but this one appears to be average. In 2022 there were 600+ mass shootings America Records 600+ Mass Shootings in 2022 for Third Year in a Row (insider.com) There is a complete list for 2022.  For 2023 the shootings continue, “The shooting marks the 340th mass shooting to occur in the United States this year.” Four adults and one teenager dead: What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia (msn.com)

2 This photo is a Christmas card. If you want the full story A Christmas card with guns? Lauren Boebert and Thomas Massie start a new culture war. (nbcnews.com)

3 Ukraine Civilian Death Toll, 2022 – GlobalData

4 Gun Violence in 2022, By the Numbers (thetrace.org)

5 For the story go to USA TODAY

6 There were no mass shootings on Christmas Day making the week six days, as it were. 25^th – 31^st December

7 Philadelphia mass shooting suspect posted ‘disturbing messages’ | Reuters Two children were wounded in this attack

8 The city eclipsed 500 homicides in 2021 and 2022. The city has a population of 1.6m. The UK had 35 deaths from shootings in 2021 with a population of 68m Firearm Crime Statistics: England & Wales – House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)