Dozens die in Independence Day violence across US

WASHINGTON — As citizens in the United States celebrated Independence Day last week, shootings and other forms of violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend left at least 33 people dead across the country, local authorities said.

This underlined once again that even in what should be the happiest of times gun violence remains a national scourge.

Eleven people had been killed and 55 wounded in shootings in Chicago alone by Friday morning, The Associated Press reported, citing a Chicago Sun-Times report.

The recent violence "has left our city in a state of grief", said the Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson.

Two people were killed and three wounded in Huntington Beach, California, in an Independence Day attack after a fireworks show ended, local police said.

Historically the time around Independence Day is one of the deadliest periods of the year in the United States. Last year there was a spate of shootings around the holiday, leaving more than 12 people dead and more than 60 injured.

Debates over gun policy have waxed and waned over the years, as Democrats generally favor more gun control while most Republicans argue that gun rights should not be infringed upon.

Violence and mass shootings often increase in the summer months, with more people gathering for social events, teens out of school and higher temperatures.

Five people, including the suspect, were killed and three others injured in a shooting at a residence in Kentucky on Saturday, police said.

Last month the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis in the country.

It was the first time the country's leading voice on public health had issued an urgent pronouncement on deaths related to firearms.

Xinhua - Agencies