Rising Worry: Mass Shootings in the US Surge in 2023
Mass shootings are occurrences in which four or more people are either killed or injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Based on the startling statistics that the USA Today and the Associated Press maintain, about 188 lives have been lost in 36 mass shootings reported in the US in 2023 alone.
The fact that 2023 is predicted to rank as the second deadliest year ever for mass killings, after 2019, makes this increase in mass shootings all the more alarming.
2023: Horrible Mass Shootings in the United States
There have been several tragic incidents this year, the Lewiston, Maine tragedy being just one of many. Five family members, including three defenceless children, were discovered dead in their house in Lake Township, Ohio, during a welfare check. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy are believed to be linked to a domestic quarrel, but the identity of the shooter remains unknown.
In another case, a gunman opened fire at a local mall in Allen, Texas, shocking the town. In a massacre that revealed the unsettling existence of far-right fanaticism, nine people were found dead, including the shooter. Although the attacker's exact motivations are still unknown, his actions have a lasting effect on the community.
The horrific killing that occurred in Henryetta, Oklahoma is nothing short of a spine-chilling novel or film. Jesse McFadden killed his wife, her three children, and two acquaintances before turning the gun on himself. Despite having new sexual relations, McFadden had been prematurely freed from prison after being found guilty of rape in the past.
Another horrific act of violence occurred in Cleveland, Texas, where Francisco Oropeza is accused of killing five of his neighbours, one of them a
