There have been at least 82 people killed by gun violence since the Democratic National Convention began on Monday, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
At least 82 people have died from gun violence since the Democratic National Convention started
Zachary Crockett / Vox
Many emotional Wednesday night speeches at the DNC focused on the toll that gun violence has had on the country. Christine Leinonen, the mother of Orlando shooting victim Christopher “Drew” Leinonen, gave a heart-wrenching speech about her son’s death.
“I’m glad commonsense gun policy was in place the day Christopher was born,” Leinonen said. “But where was that common sense the day he died? I never want you to ask that question about your child. That is why I support Hillary Clinton.”
A 1-year-old killed in Florida; a man in his car shot to death in California
The gun deaths that have happened this week stretch across the country, from Florida to Washington. Chicago had the most deaths, with four people killed. Here are a few of the stories of those who have died:
- Two were killed and 19 injured in an early Monday morning mass shooting at a Florida nightclub.
- A Florida man killed his young daughter before killing himself. They lived in Fort Lauderdale. She was 1 year old. Her 7-year-old brother is currently in critical condition.
- A 20-year-old man in Wisconsin was shot to death in a parking lot.
- A 23-year-old woman died in a drive-by shooting in Chicago.
- A mother and her two children — a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl — were found dead in an Arizona home. The crime is believed to be a murder-suicide.
- A man was shot to death in his car in California. Officials found "a pickup truck riddled with bullet holes and the back window blown out."
The list goes on and on. And it is likely incomplete: The Gun Violence Archive relies on media reports to document shooting incidents. There are others that have almost certainly happened that have yet to get media coverage.
36 people die daily from gun violence in the United States
There’s nothing especially bad this week when it comes to the gun violence numbers. Eighty-two gun deaths across three days is actually slightly lower than average.
As my colleague German Lopez has noted, this is an issue that goes far beyond what statistics can answer: America’s relationship with guns is deeply steeped in its cultural and foundational history.
But as these figures — or any average day of gun violence in America — suggests, something is clearly broken.
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By Dylan Matthews
