U.S. mass killings surge as gun policy paralysis persists: Iranian media

A man holds up a sign denouncing gun violence during a memorial for victims of a mass shooting at Monterey Park City Hall, California, the United States, on Jan. 23, 2023. Hundreds of people gathered at the Monterey Park City Hall Monday evening for a memorial for the loss of the shooting which killed 11 and wounded nine. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The United States has set a grim record for mass killings in the first half of 2023, with 28 incidents and 140 victims, according to a report by Iran's Fars News Agency.

The report, published on Saturday, said the number marks the deadliest six months of mass killings recorded in the United States since 2006, adding 27 of the 28 incidents involved guns.

It points to the political paralysis surrounding gun policy in the United States, which has prevented the government from taking meaningful steps to address the problem.

The report comes as the United States is still reeling from the three mass shootings that killed 10 people and wounded nearly 40 others around U.S. Independence Day, which falls on July 4.

The United States remains one of the few developed countries where mass shootings are a regular occurrence.

Students from Francis Polytechnic High School protest against gun violence in Los Angeles, the United States, on March 14, 2018. Students participated in a nationwide demonstration against gun violence "National School Walkout" in the United States on Wednesday, one month after a high school shooting in Florida in which 17 people were killed. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong)■