ALBAWABA- The first weekend of summer brought a tragic and familiar pattern of gun violence to American cities, with mass shootings leaving dozens dead or wounded. Incidents occurred at a party in Alabama, an entertainment district in Ohio, and a grocery store in Arkansas.
This marks the second consecutive weekend of widespread shootings across the U.S., prompting mayors from affected cities to plead for help.
In Michigan, a deputy was fatally shot in an ambush while pursuing a suspected stolen vehicle. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia police officer was critically wounded during a traffic stop involving four individuals.
In Montgomery, Alabama, early Sunday, hundreds of rounds were fired at a crowded party, injuring nine people. Investigators recovered more than 350 spent shell casings. Mayor Steven Reed emphasized the need to stop the "senseless violence" and called for help in keeping guns away from criminals.
In Columbus, Ohio, gunfire erupted on the main street of a popular restaurant and entertainment district early Sunday, injuring ten people, with one in critical condition.
Mayor Andrew Ginther called for more action from state and federal governments to remove guns from the streets and urged parents to monitor their children, labeling the violence as "outrageous" and "unacceptable."
In Dayton, Ohio, one person was killed and seven were injured in a shooting early Monday in a neighborhood where a large crowd had gathered. In Rochester, New York, six people were wounded early Sunday at a park when at least one person started shooting into a crowd.
A downtown St. Louis shooting early Sunday resulted in one death and five injuries, stemming from a fight between several women that escalated when men intervened with firearms.
The weekend's violence began Friday in Fordyce, Arkansas, where four people were killed and another 11 injured, including the alleged gunman, at a grocery store. Among the victims was a 23-year-old new mother.
