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.

Feature image credit: Gado Images / Alamy

At least 150 people lost their lives as a result of gun violence over the Fourth of July weekend.

While the federal holiday is typically a time of celebration, data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive and cited by CNN indicates that Independence Day weekend saw more than 400 shootings across the country.

Of those 400+ shootings, there were 14 mass shootings, according to Forbes. Gun Violence Archive defines a "mass shooting" as an incident in which at least four people - not including the shooter - are shot.

Chicago was greatly affected by the US' rise in gun violence over the weekend, as 104 people were shot in the Windy City, with 19 people dying as a result, The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

It was Chicago's deadliest and most violent weekend of 2021 so far, according to the outlet. The publication also reports that at least 13 children and two Chicago police supervisors had sustained injuries during the shootings.

In a Twitter statement, Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown confirmed the wounded officers' injuries were not life-threatening.

He said: "Early this morning, two of our officers were shot as they dispersed a large crowd in the 15th District. Thankfully, they will be all right. So far this year, at least 33 #ChicagoPolice officers have been shot at or shot protecting Chicago. God bless the brave men & women of CPD."

In New York, at least 26 people were shot in 21 shootings over the weekend, per CNN.

While New York has experienced unprecedented levels of gun violence in the last few years, the figure marks a drop from the same time last year, which saw 30 people shot in 25 shootings.

Chicago and New York certainly weren't the only parts of the country affected by the violence.

Credit: kat wilcox / Pexels

The outlet reports that four people were shot in Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday afternoon. One of the victims was a six-year-old girl who nearly died during the incident but is currently in a stable condition.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the ordeal, in which a 14-year-old boy, 16-year-old boy, and 16-year-old girl were shot at - but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Moreover, a further eight people were wounded following a shooting nearby a car wash in Fort Worth, Texas, after an argument between a group of men.

Featured image credit: Pixabay / Pexels

Nearly 1,000 shootings have taken place in the US in just one week, with 430 deaths being recorded last week alone as gun violence continues to surge.

The alarming number of shootings took place between July 17 and 23 as hundreds of innocent people lost their lives in crossfires.

According to ABC News and the Gun Violence Archive, 915 shootings took place across the US, leaving a total of 1,007 people wounded.

There have been 24,000 gun fatalities recorded so far in 2021, per ABC News.

The number of gun deaths this year is expected to pass last year's 43,000+, which was the highest number recorded in at least two decades.

ABC News reports that the states with the most gun violence over the past week were Illinois with 109 incidents, Texas with 63 incidents, Pennsylvania with 59, California with 52, and New York with 48.

What's more, gun violence has also taken place at sporting events last week.

As thousands of fans gathered in Wisconsin to celebrate the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA championship, two shootings broke out in downtown Milwaukee.

Three people were wounded just hours after the Bucks' victory over The Suns.

People run for cover after shots were fired at Nationals Park. Credit: MediaPunch Inc / Alamy

Last weekend, shots were also fired outside of Nationals Park in Washington DC as people in two vehicles shot at each other outside the park in the middle of a game.

The shooting led to mass panic in the stadium, as fans and players scrambled to run for cover as shots could be heard being fired.

The evening took a turn for the worse when one innocent bystander was shot and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while two others who were in one of the cars later showed up at area hospitals for treatment for gunshot wounds.

According to the gun violence archive, more than 800 of the victims who have died of gun violence so far in 2021 were under the age of 18. The data showed that 174 were under the age of 12.

President Joe Biden spoke about the surge in gun violence at a CNN Town Hall event last week. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

Speaking at a CNN town hall event last week, President Joe Biden spoke about the surge in gun violence.

"I'm continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things," Biden said.

"But I'm not likely to get that done in the near term. So, here's what I've done. The people who, in fact, are using those weapons are acquiring them illegally."

He went on: "And so what happens is, I've gotten the ATF out, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. I have them increase their budget and increase their capacity, along with the Justice Department, to go after the gun shops that are not abiding by the law of doing background checks."

He said his administration also plans to "do major investigations and shut those guys down and put some of them in jail for what they're doing."

Featured image credit: Petar Maksimovic / Alamy

An overnight mass shooting in Philadelphia has left three people dead and another 11 injured.

As reported by NBC News, police have confirmed that the shooting took place late on Saturday on South Street, near its intersection with Third Street at the north end of South Philadelphia. The area is known for being a hub for nightlife.

Officials from the Philadelphia Police Department tweeted the following message in the early hours of Sunday morning: "*Alert* Emergency personnel are responding to a shooting incident in the area of 3rd and South Streets. Several people have been injured. Please avoid the area."

Speaking at an early morning press conference, Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace told reporters that officers spotted several active shooters firing into a crowd.

Per 6ABC, at least two guns have been recovered from the scene - one of which had an extended magazine. Numerous shell casings were also found.

Pace told reporters: "You can imagine there were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street - as they do every single weekend - when this shooting broke out."

The three people killed in the attack included a woman and two men - with all three dying from multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

Speaking to FOX29, Pace said that "several individuals" pulled up to the corner in a red vehicle and opened fire on an 18-year-old male.

Associates of the teenager then arrived on the scene and started to open fire on the original shooters.

"We know that at least two to three gunmen were involved in this shootout. Detectives are currently processing the scene [...] there are between 65-75 shell casings strewn across the street," Pace added.

Pace added that an officer was able to fired at one of the gunmen, but it is still unclear whether or not the man was hit. Subsequently, the gunman dropped his weapon and fled the scene.

The conditions of those injured in the shooting have not been released.

Pace stated that the gunfire was the result of "a dispute over drug territory in this location".

Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragedy...

Featured image credit: Michael Matthews - Police Images / Alamy

Seven people have been left dead in a mass shooting incident in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

According to an official press release from the Colorado Springs Police Department, on Sunday, May 9, cops responded to reports of a shooting at a birthday party at Canterbury Mobile Home Park at approximately 12:18AM.

By the time they arrived at the scene, six people, including the gunman himself, were dead, while one other was seriously wounded. This individual later died shortly after being hospitalized.

Take a look at this news report on the incident in the video below:

Police believe the gunman was an ex-boyfriend of one of the female victims attending the party. He drove to the residence, walked inside, and opened fire, before taking his own life.

He was known by numerous people at the event, although police investigators have not yet divulged the identities of the victims in question.

In a later interview with The Denver Post, witness Yenifer Reyes told the publication that she awoke to the sounds of what she assumed was "a thunderstorm" before hearing sirens and seeing her neighbors crying hysterically.

Commenting on the incident in an official statement, CSPD Chief Vince Niski stated: "Words fall short to describe the tragedy that took place this morning.

"As the chief of police, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as a member of this community, my heart breaks for the families who have lost someone they love and for the children who have lost their parents.

"From the officers who responded to the shooting to the investigators still on scene, we are all left incredibly shaken. This is something you hope never happens in your own community, in the place that you call home."

Niski continued: "When these types of unspeakable acts happen, there is nothing that can be done to fully rebuild what was lost or replace those who are no longer with us.

"My vow to this community and to the families who have lost someone today is that this department will do everything we can to find you the answers you deserve and be here for you with unwavering support.”

Meanwhile, Colorado Governor Jared Polis commented on the situation in a statement made on Twitter; tweeting to his 115,000 followers:

"The tragic shooting in Colorado Springs is devastating, especially as many of us are spending the day celebrating the women in our lives who have made us the people we are today.

"Multiple lives were taken today by this terrible act of violence. Families torn apart, and at a birthday party no less. My deepest condolences and prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone else impacted by this tragedy."

Featured Image Credit: Pexels