Within the first three weeks of 2023, the United States has endured 41 mass shootings, killing 83 and leaving 165 injured.

In just three days, Calif. alone had three different mass shootings: Monterey Park on Jan. 21, Half Moon Bay on Jan. 23 and Oakland on Jan. 23, in total killing 20 and leaving 14 injured. 

“At the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay,” Governor Gavin Newsom wrote in a tweet. “Tragedy upon tragedy.”

As gun violence is on the rise, Americans continue to ask vital questions and search for solutions. 2021 was the year with the highest number of casualties on record since the Gun Violence Archive began collecting data in 2014 with 638 mass shootings. 2023 is on track to surpass this number by the end of the year. 

“We cannot become numb to these horrific acts of violence and work to restore our respect for each other and humanity,” San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins said after the Monterey Park shooting, which took place amid Lunar New Year celebrations. “The year of the Rabbit stands for hope. We must remain resolute in our hope for a more unified society.”