At least 10 people have been killed, and many others injured, following a string of mass shootings across the US this Halloween weekend.
It has been reported that at least seven mass shootings occurred between Friday evening and Sunday morning - including two in Texas, three in California, one in Illinois, and one in New Mexico.
Here is a breakdown of the tragic events.
Joliet, Illinois — 2 dead, 12 injured
Per CBS Chicago, local law enforcement is searching for two men who shot at more than a dozen people, killing two, at a Halloween party held on Sunday, October 31.
Around 12:39 AM, a Will County Sheriff's sergeant heard 10 to 12 gunshots around the area of Jackson and Walnut streets, while out on patrol. Upon arriving at the scene, he witnessed around 100 people fleeing the backyard party.
The shooting happened near the DJ booth, which was set up in the garden, according to police. Witnesses said that the two shooters shot from an elevated position on the porch, looking down on the crowd.
Speaking about the incident to the publication, a party guest identified as Nathan said: "You could just tell something was going to happen. I never thought my friend was going to die.
"I just heard people screaming, saying: 'There's bodies on the floor! People are getting hit!' I seen people come out with like blood on their hands," he continued of the party, which originally hosted about 200 people.
"People were showing up that we literally had no idea who they were," another partygoer, named Vanessa, said.
Her sister, Valerie, corroborated, "Even the host of the party was like, "I don’t know these people – like where did they come from?'"
At least a dozen people have been taken to local hospitals, and currently, two are confirmed dead.
According to CBS Chicago, the first was described as an "average-sized Hispanic male with facial hair — wearing a red hoodie, a black flat-billed hat, and dark pants," while the second was described as an "average-sized light-skinned Black or Hispanic male wearing a yellow hoodie and ski mask."
At the time of writing, no arrests have been made, and the tragedy remains under investigation.
In a statement, the sheriff's office said: "Detectives with the Will County Sheriff's Office began conducting interviews at various locations and the Will/Grundy Major Crimes Task Force was activated in order to assist detectives with conducting interviews."
Texarkana, Texas — 1 dead, 9 injured
On Sunday, October 31, a suspect sought over a shooting at a Texas Halloween party - which left one dead and nine hurt - handed himself over to authorities, per the Texarkana Police Department.
He has been identified as 21-year-old Keuntae McElroy, who hails from the Arkansas side of Texarkana — a town that straddles the border of Texas and Arkansas.
The shooting occurred late Saturday night on October 30 at Octavia's Activity Center, where a Halloween party was being attended by a couple of hundred people, per ABC News.
"When [law enforcement] got there, they encountered a large number of people running from the building and several inside suffering from gunshot wounds," a police statement reads.
McElroy then left the venue, which prompted an arrest warrant for his capture, and a large search in eastern Texas.
A 20-year-old man, whose identity has not been publicized, was wounded and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Nine other people who were injured were taken to Wadley Regional Medical Center and Christus St. Micheal Hospital.
Police have said that none of them appear to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Houston, Texas — 1 dead, 3 injured
An 18-year-old woman — identified as Aleksis Cantu - was found dead and three others injured after a Halloween party turned violent on Saturday evening, according to police.
The incident occurred at a house in the 1900 block of Schilder Drive in north Houston. Around 12:45 PM, law enforcement received a shooting-in-progress call, and upon arrival, saw a large crowd of mostly underage individuals flooding out of the home.
Cantu was found dead at the scene, and three others were discovered with gunshot wounds, and transferred to hospital.
Law enforcement discovered evidence of the shooting behind the house, and located a gun in a ditch close to the home. However, it is unknown whether this firearm was used in the incident.
Police have disclosed that they have one suspect in mind, but provided no description.
Gilroy, California — 1 dead, 3 injured
A shooting at the home of a council member in Gilroy, California, on Saturday has left one person dead and three others injured, per the Gilroy Police Department. The incident transpired around 1 AM at the home of Gilroy City Council member, Rebeca Armendariz.
"When officers arrived on the scene, they encountered a large outdoor party at the residence," law enforcement said in a press release. "Officers learned that an altercation occurred just prior to their arrival, and at least one suspect fired a gun."
A male victim, who was not identified, was pronounced dead on the scene, and two of three surviving victims had life-threatening injuries, police said. All of the victims were around 17 and 19-years-old.
On Sunday, they confirmed that a 19-year-old suspect from Gilroy had been arrested for homicide. on November 1, it was confirmed to be Benjamin David Calderon — who is Armendariz's second cousin, per ABC7 News.
Armendariz told the publication that while she was at home during the shooting, she was not in attendance the Halloween party, which reportedly took place in her side-yard. She added that there is a second home on the property.
"I want to ask the community to continue to pray for the families of everyone who's been affected. To continue offering them your support," she said.
Sacramento, California — 2 dead, 5 injured
Seven people were shot at a party in Sacramento on Saturday evening. Two died on the scene, and five have been left injured.
Around 1 AM, Sacramento police responded to a shooting outside the Royal Castle Banquet Hall where the Erotic Exotic Halloween ball was underway. Around 300-400 people were in attendance, and witnesses described 15 minutes of gunfire, per CBS Sacramento.
Police found three adult men suffering from at least one gunshot wound each. One of the five victims was transferred to hospital with serious injuries — their condition is currently unknown. The other four are expected to recover.
Two men were pronounced dead on the scene, one of which has been identified as 32-year-old Terrence Long, who was allegedly caught in the crossfire.
His mother, Pamela Welch, said in a statement: "He was a very given person, that went out his way to help others, he was a people person. My family and I are devastated.
"We are also praying for the other family who lost a loved one from this senseless killing. My son never did any harm to anybody. He didn't deserve to die like this."
No arrests have been made, and no suspect description has been released, at the time of writing. Law enforcement has said that the number of shooters and motive is currently unknown.
Alburquerque, New Mexico — 2 dead, several injured
At least two people have died after a shooting in Alburquerque, New Mexico, per Bernalillo County Sheriff's office. Several other people have been taken to the hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds.
Law enforcement said that the shooting occurred around 3 AM on Sunday in the 2300 block Parajito Road, close to Isleta Boulevard.
As of yet, it is unclear how many shooters were involved, per KOB4, and no identifying details of the victims have been released.
Stockton, California — 1 dead, 2 injured
One person has died, and two others were left injured after a shooting at a party in Stockton, California, on Friday (October 29).
Around 11:40 PM, three people were shot at a Halloween party in the 2200 block of E.Vine Street, per the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, as reported by CBS13.
Osman Ali Khan, 21, died from his injuries, while the other two victims are still in the hospital.
Law enforcement has not released any further details.
