Texas mall tragedy: A look at the worst mass shootings in the US this year

The United States has not experienced any relief from the plague of mass shootings as of early 2023. This year’s killings have happened in different ways, from family and neighbourhood disputes to school and workplace shootings to explosions of gunfire in public spaces. They’ve taken place in rural as well as urban settings. Sometimes people knew their killers; sometimes they did not. Over the first four months and six days of this year, 115 people have died in 22 mass killings — an average of one mass killing a week. That includes the bloodshed on  Saturday at a Texas mall where eight people were fatally shot, reported Associated Press. According to the news agency, a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall on Saturday, killing eight and wounding seven others — three critically — before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. The incident was the second deadliest mass shooting to occur in the United States this year and the second to occur in Texas in a little more than a week. The latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the US sent hundreds fleeing in panic. [caption id=“attachment_12563842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Citizens hold protest signs outside a prayer vigil after a mass shooting the day before Sunday. AP[/caption] Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbour asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. The following is a list of this year’s deadliest mass shootings. It should be noted here that the figures also include the offender’s death if they were shot dead there and then. Lake Wales, Florida (2 May) - five dead At a Lake Wales apartment complex in Florida, 38-year-old Al Joseph Stenson killed a mother and her three children. According to CNN, Stenson had fled to a motel in Sanford, where his brother was staying, authorities said. After an hour-long standoff with police, Stenson was killed, reported Sky News. Police have not revealed the children’s names or relationships, despite the fact that they were known to each other and were between the ages of 21, 17, and 11. Also read: More mass shootings than days of the year: The grim reality of gun violence in the US Henryetta, Oklahoma (1 May) - seven dead A sex offender from Oklahoma who was released early from prison killed his wife, her three children, and their two friends before taking his own life, as per NBC News. Questions about Jesse McFadden’s first release were raised in the wake of the murders. In 2003, McFadden received a 20-year prison term for raping a 17-year-old in the first degree. Because of his outstanding attitude, he was freed three years earlier than expected in 2020. San Jacinto County, Texas (28 April) - five dead 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza fled the scene after killing five neighbours in a small Cleveland village. He was later discovered about 20 miles from the incident below a mound of laundry, reported AP. The attacks happened as a result of his neighbours asking him to cease firing shots in his garden at odd hours of the night while a baby was attempting to sleep. [caption id=“attachment_12563982” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Law enforcement personnel swam in midtown Atlanta where police said a man opened fire inside the waiting room of an Atlanta medical facility, killing one woman and injuring four others. AP[/caption] Dadeville, Alabama (15 April) - four dead, 32 injured Police report that a shooting at a dancing school birthday party in the Alabama city left four people dead and 32 others hurt. A few days later, authorities announced that five people had been charged in connection with the assault, as per BBC. Louisville, Kentucky (10 April) - six dead, eight injured After 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon started shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, five people were killed and seven others were hurt, including two police officers, according to Sky News. The former bank employee was slain after a firefight with the cops. Nashville school shooting, Tennessee (27 March) - seven dead, one injured As per AP, after the former pupil started firing, Audrey Hale shot and murdered three adults and three children at a private Christian school. Hale entered the premises by firing through the doors and carrying a manifesto and full blueprints of the institution. Also read: 2022 second worst ever for mass shootings in US history Tate County, Mississippi (17 February) - six dead Six individuals were killed in a 52-year-old man’s shooting spree at several places in rural Mississippi, including his ex-wife and two siblings who were both in their 70s, according to the authorities, reported CNN. The gunman, who was apprehended, started his murderous rampage at a convenience store in Arkabutla, Mississippi, where he fatally shot a guy who appeared to have no link to him, according to the police. Unincorporated Arkabutla is located around 45 miles south of Memphis. Half Moon Bay, California (23 January) - seven dead, one injured Following two horrific shootings that occurred in the little coastal city of California miles apart, seven people died. After four individuals were killed at a farm and another three at a trucking company, police detained Chunli Zhao, 67. Farmworkers from China and Latin America were among the victims, reported Sky News. Later, he admitted to the police that he had shot people as his boss insisted he pay $100 (£81) to fix a forklift vehicle that had been damaged. [caption id=“attachment_12563932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A shattered window and a bullet hole in the side of a car parked at the scene of a shooting. AP[/caption] Monterey Park, California (21 January) - 12 dead, nine injured During a Chinese New Year celebration at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Huu Can Tran, 72, killed 11 people, reported CNN. Following his escape from the scene of an attempted second shot, Tran was discovered dead in his car. Also read: Dissatisfaction with US gun laws hits new high: Poll Goshen, California (16 January) - six dead In a shooting in central California that left six people dead, a teen woman and her 10-month-old child were both shot to death in the head in an “assassination style” manner, according to Sky News. Police are searching for two suspects as they investigate whether a gang or drug cartel targeted the family. Enoch, Utah (4 January) - eight dead Before shooting himself, a father murdered his wife, five children, and his mother-in-law. A few weeks after his wife Tausha Haight, 40, requested a divorce, Michael Haight, 42, shot her, as per The New York Times. Prior to this, police had been called to the house due to complaints of domestic disturbance. Mass shootings in the US According to data as of 1 May from the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that keeps track of nationwide gun violence incidents, at least 13,959 persons had been shot to death in America, which has experienced an annual increase of more than 39,000 gun-related fatalities since 2014. That equals 115 fatalities daily. They have also predicted that the Joe Biden-led country will very certainly experience a mass shooting every day. As per GVA, a mass shooting is one in which four or more people (excluding the perpetrator) are shot at or near the same time and location, regardless of fatalities or causes. According to AP, experts point to a few contributing factors: a general increase in all types of gun violence in recent years; the proliferation of firearms amid lax gun laws; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the stress of long months in quarantine; a political climate unable or unwilling to change the status quo in meaningful ways; and an increased emphasis on violence in US culture. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.