State Watch

16 killed in mass shootings over long holiday weekend: watchdog

Sixteen people were killed and 47 were injured in the U.S. as a result of mass shootings over the long Labor Day weekend, according to watchdog data.

The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive logged 12 mass shootings Sept. 3-5. 

Three people were killed and two others injured in St. Paul, Minn., on Sunday in the deadliest incident. Police have confirmed a suspect has been identified for the triple homicide, local media reported, but authorities haven’t released further details, citing the ongoing investigation. The victims were identified on Monday.

Law enforcement officials in Philadelphia, meanwhile, are still searching for a shooter who killed two people and injured four on Monday. Two of the injured victims are in critical condition. 

At least 10 people were also shot and one killed in Cleveland on Monday, according to local news outlets, and police are looking for a suspect and motive. 

Another shooting in Norfolk, Va., left two people dead and five injured. Among the victims were students at Norfolk State University, according to the school.

The Gun Violence Archive notes there have been more than 30,000 gun violence deaths, including suicides, to date in 2022, and 464 mass shootings in which four or more people were shot or killed, excluding the shooter.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee, led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), is investigating gun violence and the firearm industry in the wake of recent high-profile mass shootings, like the Robb Elementary School massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas.

A recent report by the committee found that major gun manufacturers earned more than $1 billion from sales of military-style assault weapons, often used in the deadliest mass shootings, to Americans.