In just a 72-hour span over Memorial Day weekend, there were more than 300 shooting incidents across the US killing over 130 people, according to data tabulated by the Gun Violence Archive.
Recent shootings included deadly incidents of domestic violence, like the slaying of a mother and her three children under the age of 10 by her husband in central Michigan on Saturday. But it also includes street violence, like that seen in the small Oklahoma town of Taft on Friday night, where roughly 1,500 people had gathered at an outdoor festival to enjoy meals from food trucks and celebrate the start of the long weekend. Shortly after midnight, shots rang out after a suspected argument, killing a 39-year-old woman and injuring seven others.
Summer is typically the most deadly time for shootings in American cities, especially in underserved neighborhoods home to people of color. With the sanctuary of schools not available, young people are also more vulnerable to this violence during the warmer months.
“We need to be paying attention and taking action 365 days a year in order for this to end,” March For Our Lives spokesperson Noah Lumbantobing told BuzzFeed News. “Otherwise we’ll be right back here the next time and kids will continue to suffer, people will continue to suffer, and communities will continue to suffer.”