The Fourth of July brought celebrations from coast to coast, as millions watched fireworks, parades, tall ships and more in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.<\/p>\n
But the holiday weekend was also marked by spasms of gunfire, with shootings occurring in New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan and South Carolina. At least five people were killed out of at least 52 gunshot victims, authorities said.<\/p>\n
Violence flared at a beach, an apartment complex, a downtown entertainment district and at least one block party, according to police reports. In Coney Island, where gunfire erupted as crowds gathered to watch fireworks, eight people were shot<\/a>, including four children and a woman who was in critical condition early Sunday.<\/p>\n Large gatherings with heavy alcohol consumption and hot weather create the conditions for violent outbursts, according to researchers. Gun Violence Archive data from 2013 to 2025, analyzed by the criminologist James Alan Fox, shows that July 4 and July 5 rank as the most violent days of the year, followed only by Jan. 1.<\/p>\n \u201cHolidays and celebrations, they often involve drinking, sometimes drug use, and unfortunately also guns,\u201d Dr. Fox, who works at Northeastern University, said in an interview. \u201cIf there\u2019s lots of strangers, altercations and arguments can arise,\u201d he said, and people may end up firing guns.<\/p>\n In San Antonio, six people were shot, including the suspected shooter, and one person died.<\/p>\n Five people were shot at a block party in Mount Clemens, Mich., a suburb of Detroit, at around 11 p.m. Saturday, the authorities said. In Fort Wayne, Ind., one woman was shot and killed and eight people were treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds at local hospitals, police said.<\/p>\n Authorities didn\u2019t provide an exact number of people shot in Arizona, saying only that \u201cmultiple\u201d people were hit by gunfire.<\/p>\n In Memphis, as the police responded to reports of early morning gunfire on Sunday, they pursued a man carrying a handgun, according to a Memphis Police Department statement.<\/p>\n Members of the Tennessee National Guard were nearby and joined the foot chase. Then, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, two National Guard soldiers shot at the man, 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson, killing him. The Memphis Police Department said in a statement that Mr. Johnson had \u201cturned toward NG members with his weapon.\u201d <\/p>\n The Tennessee National Guard military police officers were part of the task force that has patrolled Memphis<\/a>, conducting traffic stops and arrests, following an executive order<\/a> from President Trump in September.<\/p>\n The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it is investigating the shooting of Mr. Johnson.<\/p>\n In Hilton Head, S.C., a spat between two groups around 8 p.m. at a public beach resulted in at least seven people suffering non-fatal gunshot injuries, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n At least four people have been charged in the shooting, all 17 or 18 years old.<\/p>\n In Chicago, seven people were shot on the same block near the Garfield Park Lagoon on the city\u2019s West Side around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. A 17-year-old girl was shot in the chest and remains in critical condition, the police said.<\/p>\n In a separate incident about 10 minutes later, an 18-year-old woman and five young men, ages 17 to 20, were also shot. They are all at hospitals in good condition, police said.<\/p>\n