Gun violence on rise: 8 people killed, 40 injured in Chicago shootings over the weekend

The United States has again witnessed a surge in gun violence in recent weeks as the number of people killed in the shooting reached eight in Chicago. According to local media reports, at least eight people were shot dead, and 16 left injured in a number of shooting incidents in Chicago over the weekend. 

Citing police, a local broadcaster reported that the first case was registered in South Kilpatrick, NBC Chicago when a 69-year-old man was shot dead at his residence on Friday. Later, several incidents were reported from Brighton Park, South Indiana, North Kedzie Avenue, and Humboldt Park. The victims who were killed in the gun violence included women, children and minors. While the other media reported more than 40 people were injured in several incidents across the city. 

It's legal to make and keep guns in America

Notably, gun violence is a severe problem in the United States, with regular cases of sporadic shooting incidents, and even mass shootings. In the US, the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Here, people made firearms that usually are assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine. These kinds of guns lack serial numbers.

According to the White House, it is legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check. "The goal is to “help stop the proliferation of these firearms,” according to the White House.

Biden calls gun violence "an epidemic"

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a research group, more than 140 mass shootings have taken place in the country in the last four months. The organization said that it has been collecting data daily from 7,500 sources and the number of incidents has been “reported and verified.” Earlier in April 2021-- months after taking charge of the country-- US President Joe Biden had called the gun violence an "epidemic and an international embarrassment." "It is actually a public health crisis," the US President said during remarks at the White House. Greeting the families of gun violence victims and activists, he assured them: "We’re absolutely determined to make a change." Irrespective of Biden's claim, the country witnessed several incidents of mass shootings. 

With inputs from ANI

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