US Independence Day marked by mass shootings

The 4th of July national holiday in the United States, when they celebrate independence, was marked by shooting attacks.

In Fort Worth, Texas, three people were killed and eight were injured. In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, five were killed and two people were injured by a sniper with an AR-15 rifle, on Monday night (3). A day earlier, in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, two people were killed while 28 were injured.

The circumstances are still being investigated. Only the suspect in the Philadelphia attack, a 40-year-old man, is in custody.

The crimes caused US President Joe Biden to toughen up his speech to increase control over firearms.

“Our nation, once again, has endured a wave of tragic and senseless attacks,” lamented the president, who asked for common sense on the part of defenders of carrying weapons so that the issue could be seriously debated.

Since taking office, Biden has tried to increase rigidity over who can access firearms through a criminal record, as well as restricting the sale of semi-automatic rifles (assault/portable weapons), which are commonly used in attacks.

However, the measures suffer resistance in the US Congress, mainly by the Republican wing and by the powerful lobby (pressure from organized groups) of the arms industry in the US. Congressmen who support the right to own a gun rely on the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution which protects the right of the population to own and bear arms.

According to the Gun Violence Archive platform, as of May 8, the US had 1.6 gun attacks per day, a total of 201 shootings. When accessing the platform here, the data updated until 5/7 indicates 356 mass shootings.

The annual number of these events, which was already alarmingly high, has grown even more in recent years, always exceeding 600 cases per year. In 2020, 610 cases were recorded, in 2021 there were 690 and in 2022 there were 646 shootings, as the platform points out.

Last year, the US Congress commissioned a study, presented by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, in which it was revealed that the arms industry earned a billion dollars in the last decade with the sale of semi-automatic rifles – the most used in attacks. In other words, the arms industry has thrived amid mass shootings.

*With information from international agencies.