No letup in US gun violence: 1 police officer shot dead, 1 critically injured in Alabama

Barely a day after the deadly Nashville school shooting in the US, a police officer in Huntsville, Alabama lost his life while another remains hospitalised in critical condition while they were responding to a shooting call.

The two officers from theHuntsville Police Department were responding to a call at 4:45 PM from a woman who said she had been shot. The shooter, a man who had barricaded himself inside an apartment, fired at the officers after they arrived on the scene.

The officers were transported to the hospital where one succumbed to the injuries while the other is still battling for life. As for the shooter, the police officers apprehended him a little more than an hour later around 6:20 PM and transported him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

"This is a devastating loss for the our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama.We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer's family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice,"Kirk Giles, Huntsville police chief said in a statement.

The authorities advised the public to avoid the area as there was a heavy police presence.

"This is a painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family. We are heartbroken. Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment," saidHuntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said.

ALSO READ |Three months into 2023 and 9,800 killed in gun violence in US

What happened in Nashville?

A day prior to the Alabama shooting incident,28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a trans person, went on a rampage and killed three children and as many adults after opening fire at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighbourhood of Nashville, Tennessee.

Surveillance videos released by the police show Hale wielding the weapons and shooting down glass doors to enter the building. The shooter checks out different rooms before shooting down various hallways.

As per reports, the shooter left behind a map and a manifesto relating to the attack. The items were revealed upon a search of the suspect's house.

WATCH |Nashville school shooting: 3 children, 3 adults killed, shooter dead

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US gun violence on a rise

According to reports, in the first three months of 2023 alone, about 9,870 people have been killed in US gun shootings. The average comes down to 114 people being killed daily.

The findings into the US gun deaths also reveal that 322 people were killed in officer-involved shootings whereas there have been 344 "unintentional" shootings.

(With inputs from agencies)

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