Three killed, three injured in mass shooting incident in Virginia

A shooting incident in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, has left three Americans dead and three others injured, authorities say, as gun violence continues to plague the United States.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday that the shooting was reported around 5:30 p.m. in the Olde Greenwich area of Fredericksburg, located near Spotsylvania County, about 60 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

The sheriff’s office went on to say that no suspects have been apprehended, stressing that the shooting may have been carried out by more than one attacker.

The three injured people were hospitalized in unknown condition, it said, adding that the ages of the victims were unavailable.

US gun epidemic: How many more lives would it take to jolt America awake?

No place, public or private, has been spared by the scourge of gun violence in America: schools, university campuses, hospitals, shopping malls, nightclubs, sports centers and people’s living rooms.

Major Elizabeth Scott from the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office said at a news conference that the incident was still characterized as an "active shooter situation," urging residents who live near the area to stay indoors.

“We still have an active, ongoing investigation with no suspects in custody, so we’re asking the public to please stay clear of the area, let the investigators do their job," the major said.

Scott further noted, "Multiple investigators are still there trying to determine who the suspects were and what the motive is."

“We will be here all night until we find the suspects,” she added.

Fredericksburg City Public Schools also announced on its website that the start of classes would be delayed by two hours on Wednesday, citing “the profound impact this incident has had on members of our school community.”

“This delay will allow us the necessary time to prepare our buildings and staff to welcome students with the care and support they may need during this difficult time,” it said.

Gun violence is epidemic in the United States, with nearly 47,000 gun-related deaths in the country in 2023, according to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More than 42,000 killed in US gun violence in 2023

Gun violence in the United States takes the lives of more than 42,000 people in 2023.

In 2023, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 46,728 people have died from gun-related injuries, according to the CDC.

The number of gun deaths in 2023 (46,278) was the third-highest total on record, trailing only the two previous years. There were 48,204 such deaths in 2022 and a record 48,830 in 2021.

Gun suicides, on the other hand, have been on a mostly upward trajectory for most of the last two decades and peaked in 2023 with 27,300 such fatalities.

Mass shootings in public places such as schools, shopping centers and churches have traumatized many Americans -- particularly women, children and the elderly -- in past years.

There are an estimated 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the US. Approximately, one-third of the adult population in the United States, which equates to 82,880,000 people, own at least one firearm.

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