A Thanksgiving morning gathering ended in tragedy when a mass shooting at a home in San Antonio, Texas, left two people dead and two others injured.
Five people, who all knew each other, had spent the night at a house in the 600 block of Potomac Street, on the East Side. As one man left Thursday morning, he fired a handgun, striking four individuals inside, police said.
Two men in their 20s were pronounced dead at the scene. The injured victims included one man in his 20s and an unidentified individual who were taken to hospital. Their conditions were not immediately disclosed.
Police detained a man believed to be the shooter a few blocks away near East Houston Street and North New Braunfels Avenue. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said investigators are still working to determine the shooter's motive.
"This is a tragic incident, and we are working to piece together what led to this senseless act of violence," McManus said during a press briefing.
Newsweek has emailed the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for further comment.
The tragedy highlights a grim trend. McManus noted that shootings during Thanksgiving are not uncommon in the area, with police frequently responding to such calls during the holiday season.
Recent research has indicated that unintentional shootings tend to increase during major U.S. holidays, including Thanksgiving.
According to the nonprofit organization Brady, which advocates for gun control, this rise is attributed to factors such as more time spent at home and easier access to unsecured firearms. Alcohol and drugs, consumed during long hours of celebrations can also often play a role in mass shootings of this kind.
Texas, which does not have a safe storage law and has the highest rate of gun ownership in the country, has the highest number of unintentional shootings on average.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of November 26, 2024, the United States has experienced 469 mass shootings this year. These incidents have resulted in 15,266 deaths and 29,208 injuries.
The GVA defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, excluding the perpetrator. Their data is collected and verified from over 5,000 sources daily, including law enforcement reports, media coverage, and other public records.
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