America is on course for its bloodiest year ever after the massacre at a Texas mall on Saturday brought the number of mass shootings in the US to 199 this year.
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, the number of mass shootings in the US this year is also much higher than in recent years.
The province surpassed the grim milestone of more than 100 mass shootings on March 5 — almost two weeks before the 2022 figure was reached.
The gruesome data comes after a gunman killed at least eight people Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas before shooting them to death.
The number of mass shootings in the United States in 2023 exceeds the number in recent years
The gunman dressed in SWAT gear, with a semi-automatic weapon at his side, is seen dead outside a store at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas after killing eight people on Saturday
At least 74 people have been killed or injured in school shootings, including the mass shooting in late March in Nashville, Tennessee at The Covenant School, according to a report.
Nashville mass shooter Audrey Hale was one of only five female mass shooters in history when she shot six people, including three children, before police shot her dead.
In April, Connor Sturgeon, a young employee of the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, shot his job killing five people before he was also shot and killed, bringing the number of mass shootings in the US to 146.
There have been at least 12 mass shootings in Texas in 2023 alone, including the latest on Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets that left nine dead, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings of the year.
The mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, in January is the deadliest of the year so far after 12 people – including the gunman – were killed.
Eight people were killed in a January 4 shooting in Cedar City, Utah, when Michael Haight killed his wife, their five children, and his mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself
Louisville gunman Connor Sturgeon at the Old National Bank on Monday, where he killed five colleagues before being shot dead by police
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-profit investigative database that tracks shootings in the US, defines a “mass shooting” as a shooting with a minimum of four victims, wounded or killed, with no shooter at all.
In addition to active shooter incidents, such as those in Louisville, “mass shootings” include accidental gun incidents, armed robberies, family homicides, home invasions, and drive-bys.
For example, when compiling these statistics, the GVA does not distinguish between a gang shooting and a school shooting.
Gun deaths are now so common that “mass shootings” – while undeniably traumatizing, high-profile events – will account for 1.1% of US gun deaths in 2020. (Most gun deaths are suicides).
Another database, published by USA Today, tracks a much narrower category known as “public mass murders.” These are defined as events that kill four or more people, not counting the attacker, and in a public place, such as a school or a bank.
The most public mass murders ever committed in a single year in America is ten.
The Allen massacre was the fifth this year in the same number of months, meaning the country may be on track to set a new record.
A total of 14,672 people have died as a result of gun violence so far in 2023, including more than 8,000 people by gun suicide, as well as more than 6,000 who were victims of homicide, murder, and accidental shootings.
The terrifying death rate is not surprising with about 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey.
No other country has more civilian weapons than people. In the US, 44 percent of adults live in a household with a gun.
A US Secret Service report released in January found that a history of mental health and a recent life crisis were common among attackers
Audrey Hale, 28, had detailed writings plotting her sick attack months before she slaughtered three children and three adults at The Covenant School last week
According to a November 2020 Gallup survey, about a third of people personally own a gun. And a third of American adults believe there would be less crime if more people owned guns.
The latest mass shooting in the US has rocked the small town of Allen, Texas, a suburb about 20 miles outside of Dallas.
The lone gunman began his rampage at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, forcing a mass evacuation and leaving residents desperate for answers.
Dash cam footage showed the moment when the gunman, dressed in full SWAT attire, pulled up to the outdoor outlet before opening fire on unsuspecting civilians, including children, with his AR-15.
The scene quickly resembled a war zone with at least four bloodied bodies lying outside the H&M where the gunman launched his attack.
Saturday’s shooting occurred just before the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 children and two adults were fatally shot by an 18-year-old gunman with an assault weapon.
“We are shocked by today’s senseless tragedy and outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country,” Allen Premium Outlets said in a statement Saturday night.
A terrified child presses her hand to the glass of a school bus window after being evacuated from The Covenant School
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this horrific act. We are grateful for the heroic action of the police officer and for the support of all aid workers.’
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his office had sent state officials from multiple agencies to assist the Allen Police Department in their investigation, including the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Rangers.
“Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,” he said in his written statement.
“I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw, as well as other state and local leaders, and have offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure that all necessary assistance and resources are deployed promptly. ‘
Mayor Kevin Fulk, a lifelong resident of Allen, added, “Today is a tragic day for the City of Allen… We know the days ahead will be difficult and bleak.”