Tag Archives: holiday celebrations

Citizens should proceed with caution FBI issues alert on increase in mass shooting

Fireworks

Important Takeaways:

  • July 4 warning: FBI issues alert over attackers targeting holiday celebrations
  • The security organizations say the biggest threats are lone offenders and small groups, who may have a larger agenda, and find large events such as holiday gatherings “attractive” targets, according to a bulletin.
  • “The political environment of the country certainly doesn’t help,” Aaron Katersky, a security correspondent, told ABC News. “The police are being told by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to be on watch for these types of things that are notoriously difficult to guard against.”
  • Katersky added that big cities including New York and San Francisco are likely potential targets.
  • He added that citizens should proceed with caution, however they should not panic.
  • According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings on the Fourth of July have steadily increased over the past three years.
  • The organization tallied a total 80 mass shootings that occurred over the past three years between July 1-7, according to Mark Bryant, the executive director of the nonprofit that tracks US shootings.
  • The group defines a “mass shooting” as a shooting that kills or injures four or more people, not including the shooter.
  • Last year, in 2023, there were 28 mass shootings over the July 4th week, followed by 27 in 2022 and 25 in 2021.
  • The researchers found that days with high heat saw an 18 percent increase in violence among inmates.
  • Hot weather increases body temperature, which in turn increases heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Increased blood pressure and heart rate can lead to discomfort, which researchers say explains how high heat leads to increased anger and violence.

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CDC asks Americans to avoid trick-or-treating, indoor Halloween parties

(Reuters) – Americans should avoid door-to-door trick-or-treating, attending crowded and indoor parties, and wearing costume masks this Halloween to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. health agency said that many traditional Halloween activities could be high-risk for spreading viruses and outlined several safer, alternative ways to participate in a note on holiday celebrations.

The guidance comes after new COVID-19 cases in the United States rose last week for the first time after falling for eight straight weeks, an increase that health experts attributed to schools reopening and parties over the Labor Day holiday.

The health agency also said activities like attending haunted house settings, consuming alcohol or drugs and attending the fall festival that is outside one’s community were high risk and should be avoided.

CDC advised one-way trick-or-treating where participants are six feet apart and wearing Halloween-themed cloth masks.

Other low-risk activities include carving pumpkins and decorating one’s home, outdoor scavenger hunts and parties, virtual costume contests and hosting a movie night with household members.

The health agency recommended tailoring all Halloween activities based on whether coronavirus infections were spiking in a given area, adding that the new guidelines are not meant to replace any local or state mandates on the pandemic.

For Thanksgiving, CDC advised against long distance travel, attending crowded parades and going shopping in crowded shops.

(Reporting By Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)