Amid the celebrations of American independence comes sobering news from Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox.
July Fourth ranks annually as the most violent day of the year, his research shows.
And the holiday falling on a Friday this year — creating a three-day weekend — is added cause for concern, Fox says.
Since 2006, there have been five mass killings (of four or more victims) by gunfire on July 4, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings Database, the most extensive data source on the subject.
The trend is affirmed by the Gun Violence Archive. Since 2013, there have been 66 mass shootings on July 4 resulting in four or more people injured or killed.
