Increased gun violence leads to surge of shootings in the U.S.: report

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- As shootings plagued across the United States this month, a steady drumbeat of tragedy stretched from coast to coast in the country, Washington Post reported.

"The stream of shootings comes amid a grim backdrop of increased gun violence nationwide, and at a time when mayors, police chiefs and mediators working on the streets to curb the bloodshed were already reporting a disturbing shift," said the report.

So far this year, the number of shootings that killed or injured at least four people is much higher than it was at this point just a few years ago, according to research group the Gun Violence Archive, as cited by Washington Post. The group categorizes "mass shootings" as cases in which at least four people are killed or wounded, not including the shooter.

The number of guns across America has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began, which may lead to an increase of gun violence across the country.

In 2020 and 2021, gun sales surged to unprecedented numbers, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal data on gun background checks.