At least 233 people were killed and 618 people were injured by gun violence in more than 500 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend, a 26% drop from last year’s holiday weekend, according to the latest data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
According to data released Tuesday morning, which looks at shootings from 5 p.m. Friday through Monday, there were 314 fatal shootings with 751 injuries during the same period last year, the GVA said.
The significant drop in shootings and shooting victims comes as major cities nationwide confront a surge in violent crime.
Last year’s holiday weekend came as the nation was starting to reopen after the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders and amid mass protests related to the killing of George Floyd. CNN has requested 2019 data.
In New York, where gun violence has been rising to levels not seen in years, there were 35 victims – two fatal – from 29 shootings that occurred Friday to Monday, a decrease from the same period last year when 78 people were shot in 55 shootings, the New York Police Department said.
So far this year, gun violence incidents in New York have spiked almost 32% over the same period in 2020, with 773 shootings and 895 victims.
In June, however, shootings, shooting victims and murders fell in New York City compared to June of last year – this as gun arrests are up nearly 100% percent during the same time frame, city officials said Tuesday.
For the month of June, shootings are down by nearly 20%, from 205 to 165, shooting victims are down 26% and murders are down just over 23%, from 43 to 33 year over year, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a press conference on Tuesday.
100 people shot, 18 killed in Chicago
In Chicago, after Police Superintendent David Brown raised concerns before the “most challenging weekend of the year” for police, 100 people were shot and 18 people were killed from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday, according to the Chicago Police Department. There were 69 shooting incidents during that period, police said.
There were the same amount of murders last year, but the number of shooting incidents and victims increased, according to data from Kellie Bartoli with the Chicago Police Department. There were 83 shooting victims and 18 murders in 47 shooting incidents from July 2-5, 2020, she told CNN in an email.
One of the 14 people killed was a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, CNN affiliate WLS reported. His family identified him on social media as Chrys Carvajal, though the Cook County medical examiner has not officially released his name.
Lt. Col. Brad Leighton confirmed to CNN that Carvajal was assigned to the Company L, Recruitment Sustainment Program, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, of the Illinois Army National Guard.
“(Carvajal) was new to the Illinois National Guard and was to be assigned to a transportation unit. He had recently completed Army basic training,” Leighton said. “Our hearts go out Pvt. 1st Class Carvajal’s family and friends.
Two Chicago police officers were injured in an overnight shooting as an individual opened fire while officers were dispersing a crowd of several thousand people and made more than 60 arrests, police said. Both are expected to survive.
Unlike other cities experiencing a spike in violent crime, the homicide rate in Chicago through June is 2% lower than the same period in 2020. The number of victims is still 14% higher.
A reason for the drop was a less violent June where Chicago saw a 20% drop in homicides compared to last year (98 instead of 78), a 13% drop in shootings (416 compared to 363) and an 8% decrease in shooting victims (540 compared to 499).
Violence across America
In suburban Atlanta,