Gun Violence Wreaks Havoc on Communities Nationwide During Labor Day Weekend and Start of Back-to-School

NEW YORK – The last weekend of summer 2024 was yet another holiday weekend interrupted by tragic instances of gun violence. From Friday, August 30 to Monday, September 2, there were at least 403 shootings, in which a total of at least 141 people were shot and killed and 357 were wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This weekend’s tragedies follow a trend of gun violence bringing tragedy into what should otherwise be times of celebration throughout this summer, including Father’s Day Weekend and July Fourth Weekend. 

“Another holiday weekend and once again, communities across America were devastated by gun violence. Parades, fairs and football games should be safe places for our families, but the reality of our country’s unique gun violence crisis makes that impossible,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “We deserve to live free from the fear of gun violence and gun violence as the number one killer of our kids is unacceptable. We’ll use our voices and our votes this November for gun sense candidates who will put the safety of our children and communities first.” 

“As students like me head back to school, we’re forced to think of the worst-case scenario. Unfortunately, the tragic shootings from this weekend remind us that for many, the worst-case scenario can quickly become reality,” said Sam Mell, a Students Demand Action National Organizing Board member. “How many more football games have to end in gunshots before our lawmakers see America’s gun violence crisis for what it really is: A matter of life and death. Politicians need to wake up and act with a sense of urgency. Our generation deserves better than having to dodge bullets under Friday night lights.” 

Gunfire over the weekend devastated communities across the country, including:

• On Thursday evening, a Dallas police officer, Darron Burks, was shot and killed in what reports indicate was a targeted attack. Two other police officers were shot and wounded after responding to the incident.
• On Friday evening, five people were wounded in a shooting at Red Oak Park in Burnsville, Minnesota. 
• On Friday night, three men were shot and killed in a gas station in Bessemer, Alabama. According to police reports, the shooting started outside the parking lot and continued as individuals fled inside. 
• Also on Friday, a student gymnast at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was shot and killed in an off-campus apartment just a few days before the start of the semester. 
• On Saturday afternoon, San Francisco 49er Ricky Pearsall was shot and wounded in an attempted robbery in Union Square in San Francisco. 
• On Saturday night, four people were shot and killed and two wounded in a shooting in Honolulu. Two people were also shot and injured in Des Moines, Iowa Saturday night.
• Also on Saturday night, a 14-year-old boy was killed and another 14-year-old boy was wounded when gunfire broke out in a parking lot at the Michigan State Fair in Novi. Gun violence around state fairs was sadly not limited to Michigan. On Monday night, three teenagers were shot and wounded just south of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.
• Early Sunday morning, five people were shot and wounded in downtown St. Louis. According to police reports, a suspect is already in custody.
• Two people were shot and injured at a restaurant parking lot in Denver, Colorado on Sunday. 
• On Sunday evening, one person was shot and wounded at Oquirrh Park in Kearns, Utah, after gunfire erupted after a confrontation near the restrooms, according to police reports. More than 100 people, including children, were gathered at the park at the time.
• Early Monday morning, four people were shot and killed on the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train that spanned two train cars, according to police reports. 
• Also early Monday morning, gunfire erupted outside of SkyBar & Lounge in Antioch, Nashville, resulting in six people being shot and wounded. 
• On Monday afternoon, one person was shot and killed and four others wounded in New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade when someone shot into the crowd, according to early police reports. The parade is a Labor Day tradition in Brooklyn. 
• On Monday night, five separate shootings took place along I-5 in Washington State between the Seattle and Tacoma areas, leaving at least six people wounded. 
• Early on Tuesday morning, a four-year-old was shot and killed by another child in St. Louis. According to early police reports, four children under ten were in the home with no adult present when one of the children accessed and fired the gun. 

Coinciding with back-to-school, there was also a devastating number of shootings after high school football games over the weekend: 

• On Friday night, two teenagers were shot and injured in a parking lot outside at Passaic County Technical Institute in New Jersey after a football game, and a teenage suspect is now in custody. 
• Also on Friday night, only an hour after a football game ended at Euclid High School in Euclid, Ohio, a 17-year-old boy was killed, and four other teens were wounded in a shooting near a fire station. 
• A man was shot and wounded at a pharmacy down the street from the Woodland Hills High School football stadium in Pennsylvania on Friday night, causing spectators to run in fear, and ending the game early. According to police reports, the man had left the game and was walking in the area when he was shot. 
• Four were arrested after gunfire broke out in the parking lot after a football game in Romulus, Michigan. 

Labor Day comes as students and teachers head back to school, where the fear of gun violence on campus from school shootings to traumatizing lockdown drills remains high. A recent report from Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund found that the 2023–2024 school year saw a 31% increase in incidents of gunfire on school grounds from the prior school year. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens. Every year, more than 4,000 children and teens are shot and killed and 17,000 more are shot and wounded, with an estimated three million children in the U.S. exposed to shootings per year.


To speak with a policy expert, Moms Demand Action and/or Students Demand Action volunteer, or survivor of gun violence, please do not hesitate to reach out.