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Crime & Safety

Shootings across US over Halloween weekend leave several dead, including four in Dallas

Tallies vary by outlet: The Independent and NewsNation report at least six dead, UPI at least eight, and the New York Times at least 24.

9 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsa nationwide weekend toll, city by cityCenter3 outletsConservative3 outlets
Published 3 min read
Overview

Shootings struck several US cities over the Halloween weekend, many of them in nightlife districts and near college campuses. The deadliest was in Dallas's Deep Ellum neighborhood, where police said three separate shootings early Sunday killed four people and injured 15. Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said investigators are still trying to learn whether the shootings are connected.

He said some arrests were made but did not say how many. In Birmingham, Alabama, one person died and eight were wounded near Legion Field after the Magic City Classic football game between Alabama A&M and Alabama State. Police detained one person for questioning and said multiple weapons were found.

Police also reported shootings near the University of Delaware in Newark, near Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where a 19-year-old woman died, and in Fayetteville, Arkansas. UPI reports shootings in Bloomington, Indiana, near Indiana University, and in East Lansing, Michigan. The New York Post and Fox News report that a University of Colorado Boulder student was killed in Boulder, Colorado.

The Independent adds that two people died on Friday at two Spirit Halloween stores, one in California and one in Michigan.

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

a nationwide weekend toll, city by city

The Independent opens with a weekend toll of at least six dead and dozens wounded, spread across six cities, then goes city by city. It starts with Dallas's Deep Ellum, where Police Chief Daniel Comeaux says: "This is a really big scene. It's spread out."

The paper adds that police had stepped up their presence in the district beforehand and that no officers were hurt. For Birmingham, it reports one death and eight wounded after the Magic City Classic. It quotes Chief Michael Pickett as "very grateful that more people weren't injured," and describes the rivalry between two historically Black universities, played for more than 100 years, and a crowd of nearly 70,000.

It closes with the Friday shootings at Spirit Halloween stores in California and Michigan. The New York Times headline puts the nationwide toll at at least 24 dead and 94 wounded. The Times adds that experts on violence say Halloween is among the most dangerous days of the year.

Center3 outlets

UPI leads with at least eight killed and dozens injured, and builds its report around officials. It quotes Comeaux saying police have no information that the Dallas shootings are related, and asking the public for video. It carries Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin promising the city will "achieve swift justice," and Chief Pickett saying such violence is seen "all over the nation."

It also reports the arrest in Bloomington, Indiana, the Newark shooting, and the East Lansing police chief describing a busy night. Straight Arrow News opens with several shootings and some fatalities across the country. It quotes Comeaux saying police "were staffed properly" for the night, and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer condemning "senseless acts of violence."

NewsNation reports at least six dead and dozens injured, largely in nightlife districts, with Dallas the deadliest, officials said.

Conservative3 outlets

The New York Post frames the weekend around campuses, with a headline of three dead and 30 wounded near major universities. Citing Metro Detroit News, it reports that a gunman in a Michael Myers mask wounded one person near Michigan State. It describes a Boulder house-party shooting that killed a 19-year-old student, says police identified two suspects, and quotes Birmingham's chief on "two senseless acts of violence."

Fox News headlines shootings near five college communities, three dead and at least 29 injured, and draws on police and university statements. It quotes a University of Delaware spokesperson saying the Main Street shooting "has impacted our entire community," relays President Laura Carlson's message to students, and notes that ATF Chicago is assisting the Bloomington, Illinois, investigation.

Where outlets disagree
  • How many people were hurt in the East Lansing, Michigan, shootings
    • UPI: East Lansing Police Chief Jennifer Brown said two separate Halloween-night shootings injured five people.
    • New York Post: Citing Metro Detroit News, it reports one person wounded by a gunman in a Michael Myers mask, and one more person hit in a second shooting at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
  • Which Bloomington shooting involved Deputy Chief Ryan Pedigo and victims aged 17 to 27
    • UPI: Pedigo described a shooting in Bloomington, Indiana, near Indiana University, with victims aged 17 to 27.
    • New York Post: Pedigo and victims aged 17 to 27 appear in its account of the shooting near Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.
All sources: 10 articles from 9 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (3)

Conservative (4)

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