Why there are more mass shootings, violence in summer

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IT’S NO SECRET VIOLENCE AND SHOOTINGS SEEM TO SURGE IN THE SUMMERTIME. 

AND HISTORICALLY – THE 4-TH OF JULY IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST DAYS OF THE YEAR WHEN IT COMES TO VIOLENCE AND MASS SHOOTINGS. 

ACCORDING TO THE GUN VIOLENCE ARCHIVE – WHICH TRACKS MASS SHOOTINGS INVOLVING FOUR OR MORE PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY DIED – SHOWS JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST HAVE HAD THE HIGHEST TOTAL NUMBER OF MASS SHOOTINGS OVER THE PAST DECADE.

AND INDEPENDENCE DAY TOPPED THE LIST OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS – WITH 58 MASS SHOOTINGS.

JULY 5-TH CAME IN AS THE SECOND BIGGEST DAY FOR MASS SHOOTINGS. 

A CRIMINOLOGIST WITH NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SAYS THE RISING TEMPERATURES LIKELY HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE SPIKE IN VIOLENCE IN THE SUMMER – IT HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THE HEAT CAN MAKE PEOPLE MORE ANGRY AND AGGRESSIVE. 

BUT SPECIFICALLY, HE SAYS THE 4-TH OF JULY IS ONE OF THE WORST DAYS FOR GUN VIOLENCE NOT JUST BECAUSE OF HOW HOT IT IS – BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN’T WORKING OR IN SCHOOL AND ARE GATHERING, MAKING IT EASIER TO GET IN ARGUMENTS OR FIGHTS. 

AND HE SAYS SOME OF THAT SPILLS OVER PAST MIDNIGHT INTO JULY 5-TH… WHICH IS WHY IT SEES THE  SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF MASS SHOOTINGS EACH YEAR, HISTORICALLY. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, MASS KILLINGS ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN AT A HOME AND MOST OFTEN – THE VICTIMS KNOW THE SHOOTER, ACCORDING TO THE A-P.

SUMMER JUST OFFICIALLY STARTED ON JUNE 20-TH…AND IN THE FIRST WEEK ALONE, AT LEAST EIGHT MASS SHOOTINGS WERE REPORTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – SEVERAL OF THOSE AT LARGE PARTIES.

OVERALL — OF THE 10 MOST VIOLENT DAYS OF THE YEAR… NINE ARE IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

THE ONE EXCEPTION IS JANUARY 1-ST… AS PEOPLE GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR.