It has been an unprecedented year for mass killings in the U.S., with roughly one mass murder happening every week.
Over 111 days, 17 mass killings have claimed 88 lives. It was always firearms that the killers used.
In Nashville, four children were shot and killed on a Monday morning. Several farm workers were shot over a workplace grudge in Northern California. During Lunar New Year celebrations, dancers were massacred in a ballroom outside Los Angeles.
The bloodshed represents just a fraction of the amount of violence that occurs in the United States every year. According to an analysis of data from The AP/USA Today, mass murders occur on average every 6.53 days this year. In the same period of time, only 2009 saw as many such tragedies.
Violence persists, and barriers to change remain. It appears unlikely that Congress will reinstate the ban on semi-automatic rifles, and the U.S. Supreme Court last year set new standards for reviewing gun laws across the country, challenging restrictions on firearms.