US: 9 people hurt in South Carolina's Hampton County shooting, second incident in 2 days

The authorities in South Carolina, United States, are currently investigating a shooting that took place early Sunday at a nightclub that left nearly nine people injured. It is considered to be the state's second mass shooting during the Easter holiday weekend, as well as the third such incident in less than a month, Associated Press reported. According to an email from South Carolina's State Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the incident, no one was reported to be killed. Further, this incident happened at Cara's Lounge in Hampton County, at around 2:30 a.m., as per the investigators. 

Following the Hampton County Club incident, witnesses told WJCL, an ABC-affiliated television station, "We were just in the club having a good time and shots just led out. It did not happen inside the club. I think this is something someone had planned because shots rang out from the back of the club." 

Furthermore, at least 31 people were injured in two shootings, South Carolina and Pittsburgh, which resulted in the deaths of two youngsters early Sunday. 

Mass shootings in US

Gunshots were fired at a party at a short-term rental apartment in Pittsburgh, killing two male teens and injuring at least eight others. According to the city's Police Chief Scott Schubert, the "vast majority" of the hundreds of individuals present at the party were underage. Investigators think there were multiple shooters, Associated Press reported. 

These two shootings occurred only one day after gunfire erupted at a crowded mall in Columbia, South Carolina's state capital, approximately 145 kilometres north of the nightclub shooting on Sunday. Columbia Police Chief W.H. Holbrook stated on Saturday that nine individuals have been shot and five others were injured while attempting to leave the area at the Columbiana Centre. The victims were between the ages of 15 and 73. None of the injuries were life-threatening. 

In addition to the three major shootings during the Easter weekend, there has been further gun violence in recent days in the US. A shooter opened fire in a New York subway vehicle last week, hurting ten passengers. The next day, the perpetrator, named Frank R. James was apprehended. Apart from these, six people were killed and 12 others were injured in a shooting between rival gangs in Sacramento, California, earlier this month, as bars closed in a popular downtown neighbourhood only steps from the state Capitol.

(Image: AP/ Unsplash)