American authorities grapple with a wave of violence in the last days of spring

Communities across the country are grappling with a wave of violence in the final days of spring, which included at least four mass shootings in one weekend and continued Monday with stabbings outside a center commercial of Indiana.

Saturday, a lone gunman opened fire on recreational wading pool in the suburbs of Detroit, injuring nine people, including an 8-year-old child who was shot in the head. In Texas, fatal gunfire erupted during a Juneteenth celebration, leaving two people dead.

Other shootings and stabbings, in places from Massachusetts to Indiana, marred the days before spring turned to summer. stifling heat sets in in many regions.

Chris Dennison, a sociology professor at the University at Buffalo who studies crime, said the arrival of seasonal weather presents more opportunities for crime and violence, amid increased concerns about mental health issues and the destructive consequences.

“More people are going out, more people are traveling, the days are longer, the weather is better: people are just much more inclined to go out, and with that, the potential for crime is just invariable there too,” he said. Dennison said Monday. .

The wave of violence is a counterpoint to FBI data shows sharp decline in violent crime nationwide earlier this year.

Brian Higgins, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said summer heat, large social gatherings and alcohol consumption typically fuel a seasonal increase in violence.

“This was predictable,” said Higgins, the former police chief of Bergen County, New Jersey. “Is it worse than other years? That remains to be seen.”

Splash pad shooting

In the Detroit suburbs, nine people were injured, including two young children and their mother. the shooter opened fire Saturday on a paddling pool where families were gathering to escape the summer heat. Among the victims, an 8-year-old child was shot in the head and remained hospitalized Monday in critical condition.

Authorities said shooter Michael Nash, 42, fired as many as 36 times, stopping several times to reload. He then returned home to Shelby Township, where he committed suicide. Nash had no criminal history, but apparently privately struggled with “mental health issues,” according to police.

Michigan law allows a judge to confiscate someone's guns if a family member reports possible danger, but authorities said there is no indication so far that concerns have been raised.

A splash pad is a recreational area with a non-slip surface where people can play in fountains and water sprays.

Also Saturday, six people were shot in a residential neighborhood in Lathrup Village, another Detroit suburb.

Juneteenth celebration

Gunfire broke out Saturday evening during a Juneteenth celebration in a public park in Texas, about 30 kilometers north of Austin.

Round Rock police on Monday identified the two women killed in the shooting as Lyndsey Vicknair, 33, and Ara Duke, 54. Neither woman was involved in an altercation during the event that escalated into a shooting that injured 14 other people, police said. There were no immediate arrests as police searched for a suspect.

THE shooting at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock also injured two childrenRound Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said.

Indianapolis stabbed

In Indianapolis, nine people were injured – three of them seriously – before dawn Monday in a stabbing outside a shopping center, police said.

Officer William Young of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said investigators believe an argument between two groups preceded the stabbings in a parking lot outside a restaurant and lounge. Three of those hospitalized were in critical condition. No immediate arrests were made, while police spoke to several witnesses and requested surveillance camera footage.

Also Monday, Chicago police said 11 people were injured in two shootings that occurred about an hour apart in the Humbolt Park and Englewood neighborhoods.

Ephemeral evening

Seven people were shot and injured while fleeing when gunfire broke out on Sunday during a large gathering of young people in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Authorities say the shooting began at 2 a.m. after hundreds of people gathered for a pop-up party organized on social media. The victims were aged 17 to 22, and two people were in critical condition.

Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said authorities were monitoring “hot spots” where such gatherings typically take place, but Sunday's gathering occurred in a new location and turned violent.

Also Sunday, Denver police officers shot and killed a woman who was holding a large hunting knife at a downtown intersection. Officers used a Taser on the woman twice, but she began advancing toward them as they tried to back away, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said at a news conference. In South Carolina, two armed men were shot dead by sheriff's deputies in separate episodes.

Charis Kubrin, a professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine, said the recent overall decline in violent crime, documented by the FBI, has limitations because violent crime tends to intensify in the middle of the year and some cities go against national trends.

“Not every city, neighborhood or street segment is experiencing this decline,” she said.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Colleen Slevin in Denver and Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, contributed to this report.