Dozens shot on July 4th weekend in New York City

2020-07-06 Xinhua Editor:Li Yan

Over 50 people were shot with at least six of them dead on the July 4th weekend in New York City as people were celebrating the country's Independence Day, local authorities and media said.

A New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson told Xinhua in an email that from Friday to 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Sunday, 51 people have been shot in 34 separate incidents in the city, without specifying the number of deaths.

Meanwhile, NBC New York reported on Sunday that at least six people have died from gunshot wounds since midnight Saturday.

New York City has seen a surge in gun violence in the past few months. According to the NYPD's citywide crime statistics for May, there were 100 shooting incidents, representing a 64 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The city has reported 63 shootings last week, a 142 percent increase compared to the same week in 2019, according to NBC New York.

It's currently unclear what has contributed to the surge. Some have blamed it on the NYPD's decision to disband a 600-member undercover anti-crime unit in mid-June. But Mayor Bill de Blasio has denied the link between the two and supported this decision of NYPD.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday also noted the significant rise of shootings in New York City on Twitter, saying that people are demanding New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio take action.

"Federal Government ready, willing and able to help, if asked!" he tweeted. 

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