Gun violence over July 4 week dropped in 2024, but still above 2019 levels
The number of people killed and/or wounded in shootings over the Fourth of July week in the U.S. dipped this year compared to 2023, making it the fourth year in a row gun violence around July 4 has dropped compared to the previous year, according to a tally by the Gun Violence Archive.
But the week still saw a surge in shootings compared to other weeks throughout the year. From July 1 to July 7, 340 people were killed and 756 were wounded for a total of 1,096 shooting victims across the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. In 2023, the week of July 4 in the U.S. saw 451 people shot and killed and another 1,130 wounded. These numbers exclude those who died by suicide.
The archive also recorded 20 mass shootings — which it defines as a shooting in which four or more people are shot and/or killed, not including the shooter — over Fourth of July week this year. That was down from 28 a year ago.
Chicago, which saw a spike in gun violence this year, had the most shootings and deaths over the 2024 holiday, with more than 100 shot and 19 killed since Wednesday, according to the Chicago Police Department. That was a 91% increase in shooting victims compared with last year.
In 2022, the Illinois suburb of Highland Park was the site of a devastating mass shooting in which seven people were killed and dozens more were wounded when a gunman opened fire on the city's Fourth of July parade. That parade returned this year for the first time since the shooting.
Milwaukee had the second most shooting incidents of any U.S. city over the week, with 23, and Detroit was third in shootings with 21. Detroit, however, had more shooting victims than Milwaukee, 42 compared to 28.
The Gun Violence Archive recorded shootings over July Fourth week in 46 states. The gun violence in Chicago made Illinois have the most individual shooting incidents of any state over the holiday week this year with 100 total incidents. California also saw a fairly high number of shooting incidents this year, 68, which is unsurprising given that it is the nation's most populous state. Texas had the third most shootings with 53.
The number of shooting victims over the Fourth of July week has been dropping every year since 2020, but they still remain above 2019 levels. That year, there were 1,177 total victims, with 318 deaths and another 859 people wounded. The numbers then spiked in 2020, when 536 people were killed and 1,172 were wounded, for a total of 1,708 gunshot victims.
The Gun Violence Archive also recorded 34 mass shootings in 2020, the highest number over the last six years and a leap up from 18 in 2019.
The U.S. has also seen a slight dip in gun violence overall in the first half of 2024 compared with last year. From Jan. 1 through June 30 of last year, 9,683 people were killed and 18,630 people were wounded in shootings. Over that same period this year, 8,539 were killed with another 16,192 were wounded.
— Anna Schechter contributed reporting.