America experienced at least nine mass shootings over the weekend.
Friday night, April 22st:
Four shot in Washington DC. This was a rare Asian shooter. Raymond Spencer, 23, who’s background is a South Pacific Islander, fired one hundred rounds from his fifth floor balcony. He wounded four people, ranging in age from 12 to 54. He committed suicide afterward.
Four shot at an apartment complex in the Walnut Hills area of Cincinnati, Ohio. Virtually no details in media. Walnut Hills is a historically Black community since the 1930s.
One killed, four injured in an alley in Petersburg, Virginia. The fatality was a thirty year old Black male. Some victims are juveniles. Another person was shot shortly after in a different part of the city, it is still being investigated if that shooting is connected.
Saturday, April 23nd:
Two killed, two injured in a drive-by shooting in Chicago, Illinois. Victims range in age from 23 to 65. A suspect was arrested, but no details have been reported in media. The shooting took place in the West Englewood neighborhood, which is nearly all Black.
Five people were shot outside an Atlanta, Georgia Waffle House. They range in age from 15 to 19. People say they were riding scooters before the shooting and may have been involved in a fight outside the Waffle House. This shooting has a twist. Two of the gunshot victims carjacked a valet at gunpoint. Then they drove themselves to the hospital.
One killed, and four injured in San Bernardino, California. The shooting took place at the Marquis Lounge and Bar. The fatality is James Vincent Dickson, a 32 year old White male who was singing in a heavy metal band when he was shot. Friends of the victim say the bar is in a dangerous part of town. The city is 60% Latino, 19% White, 15% Black, and 5% Asian. Police and local media have not released any details on a suspect despite many eyewitnesses to the shooting.
Four shot at a bar with a hip hop DJ in Rocky Mount, NC. Police say they are hunting the suspect, but released no description. Rocky Mount is 62% Black.
Sunday morning, April 24rd:
Two killed, four injured at Romney Meadows Apartments in Lafayette, Indiana. No details have been provided by police so far. While Lafayette is only about 12% Black, photos and video on social media indicate that a large majority of residents are Black. In 2019, there was a murder at the complex and the perp was Black. In 2021, there was another double murder at the complex and the suspect is also Black.
One killed, three wounded in an alley in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The fatality is a DyQuayvyon Dickens, a 17 year old Black male. The victim was visiting from Florence, South Carolina. Police have released no details on any suspect.
Killed: 7 Wounded: 35
Just like our last report, that covered the weekend of April 15th, 16th, and 17th, it is obvious that a large majority of these shootings were all Black on Black.
While the frequency of mass shootings is accelerating in the United States, there is a pattern that is very easy to detect. The majority of these shootings are spur of the moment “no impulse control,” shootings by Black males, usually targeting other Black males. However, all kinds of people often get shot in the crossfire.
Of the deadliest 64 mass shootings in 2021, at least 57.8% had a Black suspect. However, when you zoom out and include even more shootings with lower fatality counts, the percentage of Black perpetrators gets even higher.
Another pattern is emerging where the media is spending less and less time talking about these shootings. There are often no details about the suspect or victims in the story. Often the local police do not even provide a description of dangerous at large mass shootings when there were lots of witnesses. This seems especially when the perp is Black. Non-Black mass shooters inherently get more media coverage. The Asian shooter, who wounded four people Friday evening probably received more media coverage that the other six mass shooting put together!
