At Least 8 Dead In Multiple Incidents Of Gun Violence On Christmas Weekend In US

Extreme weather and the festive spirit did little to thwart gun violence that led to deaths in the country. Multiple shootings were reported across states throughout the Christmas weekend. At least eight people died, and several were injured in shootings between Friday and Sunday.

The victims include a child under age 5 from Kansas City who was found with a gunshot wound in a home on Christmas Eve. The Kansas City Missouri Police (KCMP) were investigating the death and interrogated witnesses who were inside the residence at the time of the incident, KCTV reported.

"Although the death investigation continues, this is believed to be accidental and detectives are not looking for any suspects in the case," KCMP said, as per the outlet.

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, was reportedly put on lockdown at the onset of the Christmas weekend after a 19-year-old was killed in a shooting incident. Shots were heard around 7:50 p.m. Friday from the first floor of Nordstrom at the mall.

A physical altercation is believed to have led to the shooting and five people, including three juveniles, were taken into custody in connection with the incident, CBSNews reported.

A corporal with Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Florida, was fatally shot on Christmas Eve while responding to a domestic violence battery incident. A five-year veteran of the force, Cpl. Ray Hamilton, a member of the Special Response Team with the OSCO, was reportedly shot by suspect Timothy Price-William who had slapped a woman in the face and shoved her during an argument the night before and reported the incident the next day.

A Lincoln, Nebraska man was found with multiple gunshot wounds near 20th and Washington Street after midnight Friday by the Lincoln Police Department, JournalStar reported. A suspect was arrested on Christmas Eve in connection with the shooting. Karsen Rezac is scheduled for an initial hearing in court on Dec. 27.

A man was shot in a Center City hotel room in Philadelphia on Christmas afternoon. Police responded to the Sheraton Hotel on North 17th Street near Race Street and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the forehead. He was pronounced dead by medics a short time later.

Another man died in a triple shooting at a Hunting Park intersection on Christmas morning. Officers found the man in his 30s who had been shot at least twice in his back. He died at the hospital a short while later. The other two men injured in the shooting were admitted to the hospital, one with critical wounds, NBC10 reported.

At least two people were killed and eight were injured in shootings across Chicago during the Christmas weekend. The ages of the victims range from 17 to 55, CBSNews reported.

Meanwhile, families who lost a loved one to gun violence were presented with a sliver of hope in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. A nonprofit organization called "I'm Telling Don't Shoot" along with Chicago Police hosted an event that saw participation from 100 families, all of whom had lost a near one to gun crime. Each kid at the event received a $100 Walmart gift card, reported ABC7.

The official count of deaths and injuries due to gun violence on Christmas across the country is yet to be determined. This article will be updated with the information shortly.