US Independence Day violence kills 33

WASHINGTON:

As the United States was celebrating 248 years of independence, shootings and other forms of violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend left at least 33 people dead across the country, local authorities said.

As of Friday morning, the Fourth of July holiday saw 11 people killed and 55 wounded in shootings in Chicago alone, the Associated Press reported, citing a Chicago Sun-Times report as saying.

The recent violence "has left our city in a state of grief," said Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson.

Two people were killed and three others injured in Huntington Beach, California, in an Independence Day attack after a fireworks show ended, local police said.

Three shootings broke out in Boston at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time Friday, resulting in one fatality.

Historically, the Fourth of July period is one of the year's deadliest in the United States. Last year, there was a spate of shootings around the holiday, leaving over a dozen dead and more than 60 injured.