(WWLP) – The number of mass shootings reported since the beginning of 2023 has passed 200, according to a gun violence monitor.
This comes after a shooting at a Dallas outlet mall over the weekend, in which eight people were killed, including several young children. The White House says that a person in tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in the shopping mall, and this is not the first incident of its kind.
A total of 203 mass shootings have taken place in the United States, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive, an independent non-profit organization that tracks gun violence throughout the country.
According to the monitor, a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooter. The death toll from gun violence has exceeded 14,800, including mass shootings and other incidents, such as suicides.
Additional data from the archives shows the following:
- There have been 6,395 homicides and 8,448 suicides
- U.S. shootings have resulted in over 11,829 injuries
- 623 children and young people have died because of gun violence this year
The White House states that gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children. It is President Joe Biden’s intention to have Congress pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Which would include, the implementation of universal background checks, the requirement of safe storage, and ending the immunity of gun manufacturers.
“I will sign it immediately,” said President Biden in a White House statement. “We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”
