At least 24 killed, 94 injured in US shootings over Halloween weekend

The shootings took place in entertainment districts, university campuses, shopping centres and private gatherings

At least 24 people were killed and 94 injured in a wave of shootings across the United States over the Halloween weekend, with incidents reported from California to Delaware, according to media reports.

The shootings took place in entertainment districts, university campuses, shopping centres and private gatherings, says SBS News.

Dallas, Texas, recorded the highest casualty count, with three separate shootings occurring in the Deep Ellum entertainment district within roughly an hour and 15 minutes on the night of 31 October. The incidents left four people dead and 15 injured. Initial investigations indicate that the three shootings were not connected.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said: "We currently have suspects in custody and under investigation, and we are verifying whether the three incidents are connected."

In Birmingham, Alabama, gunfire broke out near a stadium and an outdoor tailgating area following a college football game between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University. The rivalry match attracted roughly 70,000 spectators.

The shooting left one person dead and eight injured, including two who were critically wounded. Police arrested a 17-year-old suspect who was carrying multiple firearms.

Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the first shooting occurred near a crowded vendor area. It is fortunate that more people were not injured."

Several shootings were also reported at university campuses and Halloween gatherings. At Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, a shooting early on 1 November killed a 19-year-old woman and injured seven others. In Jacksonville, Florida, a 17-year-old girl was shot dead while waiting in line to enter a Halloween party.

A shooting at a party at the University of Colorado Boulder left one student dead and another injured, while six people were wounded in a shooting near the University of Delaware campus.

In another incident, a shooting at a club in Mississippi killed two people and injured four. Shopping areas were also affected. In Fairfield, California, a shooting inside a Halloween costume shop at a shopping centre on 31 October killed a 31-year-old pregnant woman and injured six others.

In Arkansas, shootings near a shopping centre southwest of Little Rock and in Fayetteville left one person dead and several others hospitalised. In Madison Heights, Michigan, an argument between two 21-year-old men at a Halloween supply shop ended with one of them being shot and wounded. In Detroit, a five-year-old girl wearing a Halloween costume was injured by a stray bullet while playing in a back room of her home.

Law enforcement officials and violence prevention experts have warned that alcohol and drug consumption during Halloween, combined with easy access to firearms, can contribute to violence at festive gatherings, The New York Times reported.

Media reports have also highlighted a recurring pattern of increased violent incidents during the Halloween holiday period in previous years.