Casualties in Virginia and Idaho
Seven dead after the violence in two US universities
14/11/2022, 14:19
Police discover the bodies of four students believed to have been murdered in an apartment near the University of Idaho. Hours later, a gunman opened fire on the University of Virginia, killing three.
A gunman killed three people in an act of violence on the campus of the University of Virginia in the eastern United States. Two others were injured, the university and Charlottesville police said. A college student is an urgent suspect, he said. The young man is on the run and is armed.
He is considered dangerous and could drive a black SUV. The background was initially completely unclear. After the crime on Sunday at around 10.30pm local time, people on campus were asked to get to safety and not go outside.
The site has been cordoned off and Monday’s classes have been cancelled. The police responsible for the university have released a description of the alleged shooter. He gave no details on the victims. So far it is unclear whether these are also students. Helicopters are also used in the search.
More than 50 gun deaths every day
Hours earlier, the bodies of four students were discovered in an apartment near the University of Idaho campus in the northwestern United States. The university said they were likely the victims of a homicide, citing prosecutors. Here, too, the background is not yet known.
The United States has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. Firearms are often readily available in the country. According to the latest data from the CDC health authority, an estimated 20,000 people were killed in the United States in 2020 alone, more than 50 a day. In 2020, gunshot wounds were the number one cause of death among children and young people for the first time, even ahead of traffic accidents.
