As we are nearing the end of the year it is fair to conclude that 2020 has been a tragic year for the human race. The global pandemic of Corona Virus has altered the lifestyle of the entire world to a massive extent but it wasn’t the only concerning occurrence of the year. Violence has taken new shapes this year and despite the lockdowns, curfews and closures, the record and numbers for gun violence and shooting attacks in 2020 are still staggering.
Shooting Attacks on the Rise
Over the past years we’ve experienced some frightening attacks of shootings that shadowed the world with sorrow. Take for example the Christchurch mosque shootings which resulted in the killing of 51 people and the effects of which New Zealand struggles to deal with even today. From schools to homes and market places, these attacks have been taking place everywhere, indicating a worrisome rise in incidents of gun violence.
Shooting Attacks in 2020
Horrifying shooting incidents have taken place this year, varying from homicides to acts of terrorism to disastrous mass shootings, we take a look at the major shooting attacks that occurred over the globe in the year full of calamities.
January
South West Germany Shooting Incident
On the 24th of January 2020, a man of 26, shot 6 of his relatives in the South-West of Germany at Berlin. The gunman managed to injure another 4 too however the 6 that lost their lives included his parents as well. The Head of the police force Reiner Möller stated that it seemed to be a domestic dispute considering all victims were family members. This incident proved to be rather shocking as Germany has strict gun laws and policies that limit carrying arms, hence the eventuality of mass shootings and gun violence is considered rare.
Sheffield Shooting
The Sheffield shooting was a very shocking event considering that the targeted person was a 12 year old boy. On the 14th of January of this year, a man aged 30 attempted to assassinate a young child in what was called a drive by shooting.
The man was later on arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm aimed to cause harm to life through attempted murder and was found guilty in October. Luckily the boy survived the attack but was injured and had to undergo a leg surgery.
Alamou Market Attack, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso in the recent years has been cursed with numerous terror attacks as it is regarded as dangerous to even go to school in this West-African country. Since December 2018, there has been a massive uprising in acts of terrorism and shootings on mostly civilians and political leaders, to the point where the government started the new year in 2019 by declaring a state of emergency in the northern provinces as there was a 250% increase in terror attacks.
21st January 2020 bought with it a horrific shooting attack at a market in the village of Alamou where armed militants forced themselves into the area and opened fire, killing at least 36 people.
The government claimed that these militants had links with other major groups such as Al-Qaeda & Daesh. After causing casualties, the group also burnt down the market which to date happens to be one of the worst shooting attacks carried out in 2020.
February
Bronx Rampage
In early February another worrying situation unfolded itself as two policemen were attacked by Mr. Robert Williams, a man who had a very violent past and a long list of criminal records. It was reported that the accused shot 2 police officers in a van on Saturday night and approximately 12 hours later he stepped into the Bronx precinct and pulled the trigger several times, injuring a lieutenant. In his hearing he stated that “he was tired of police officers” which prompted him to go on a rampage against the people belonging to the organization.
Nakhon Ratchasima Shooting
Regarded as one of the most tragic incidents of 2020, the Nakhon Ratchasimasa shooting ended up causing 87 casualties in total, resulting in 30 deaths and injuring 57 people. Considered a rather complicated case, the gunman was identified as a member of the Royal Thai Army named Jakrapanth Thomma whose motivation behind the attack as he claimed was that he had a “personal dispute over debt”.
Jakrapanth, despite having a clean criminal record had developed an obsession with showboating pictures of guns and other weapons on his Facebook account. Evidently, while carrying out the attack he also went live on his Facebook account which drew comparisons to the Christchurch incident. Jakrapanth was later on shot dead by the forces after he got caught seeking refuge in a shopping center. It is without a doubt one of the deadliest incidents of mass shooting attacks Thailand has ever witnessed.
The Israel-Palestine Fire Exchange
After President Donald Trump revealed his peace plan for the Israeli-Palestine conflict it caused a major uproar from the Palestinians, with the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization labeling the plan as the “Slap of the century”. This proposal by the President of United States of America infuriated the Muslin nation struggling for land, peace and freedom, resultantly ending up in a violent shooting incident in the later days. Hours after a car-ramming attack a man opened fire at several Israeli police officers in Jerusalem, wounding one of the officers. The attacker was shot dead at the very same instant by the Israeli Defence Forces.
Shaheen Bagh Firing
After the Indian parliament signed the unfair Citizen Amendment Act, the largest ‘democracy’ in the world caused its citizens to scream in anguish since the country is home to many Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Parsis who felt that they were being denied a major right.
Huge protests were hosted country wide leading to a shooting incident in which a man named Kapil Gujjar opened fire in the Shaheen Bagh Area. Upon being asked why he committed an act of violence, he stated that only Hindus can live and rule over India, luckily no major casualties were caused as the police hurried to rescue and seized the attacker.
Pansi Church Shooting
On 16th February 2020, the Northern part of Burkina Faso faced an outrageous terrorist attack which ended up causing a great many casualties. Being one of the poorest countries on the globe Burkina Faso happens to be cursed with many insurgent groups. One of these groups attacked the weekly service at church in the region of Pansi. The gunmen killed a pastor including 23 more men and wounded 17 others. May it be Muslim or Christian the gunmen opened fire equally on them before burning the church down. Terror attacks in Burkina Faso have been on a high in 2020 and are very frequent in the African nation.
Hanau Shooting
Hanau, situated in the state of Hesse suffered a horrendous shooting attack in a midnight shisha bar present in the city center near 10 P.M. After carrying out the shooting attack in Hanau, the same attacker travelled 2.5 km to Arena Bar & Cafe West in the district of Kesselstadt where he once again opened fire.
A total of 9 people lost their lives that day. The shooter has been identified as Tobias R. who had a firearms license that was found by the police in his car along with guns and ammunitions. The motive behind the attack was said to be racist and xenophobic. The suspect was found dead in his apartment with another body which was said to be his mother’s.
Ardoyne Incident
Located in the North of Belfast, on the 15th of February 2020, a man in his thirties was dragged into a house in Ardoyne and attacked by 2 men who were said to be wearing masks to cover their identities.
The police reported that the man was walking on Jamaica road before two masked men dragged him into a house in which a woman and 4 young children were present. The man was shot in the thigh after which he was shifted to the hospital to receive treatment. The unexpected and horrifying event left the entire community traumatized.
Milwaukee Shooting
5 men lost their lives at Molson Coors Beer Company after their co-worker opened fire at the headquarters of Molson Coors. The gunman was a 51 year old man who worked for the company himself. It is yet to be discovered what influenced the gunman who take a horrendous drastic action which resulted in his own life as well after he died from self-inflicted wounds. The state of Wisconsin’s congressman and the company’s CEO condemned the attack and expressed their sorrow and grief over yet another devastating shooting attack. President Trump also offered his deep condolences to the families of the victim.
March
Kabul Ceremony Attack
Afghanistan has been drowning in deep violence for many years. On 6th of March, the capital Kabul got hit with yet another terror attack with gunmen opening fire at a ceremony where important and influential political personalities were present.
According to officials in Afghanistan, at least 32 people were killed with over 60 injured. The Islamic state Iraq and Syria (ISIS) took responsibility of the attack. The ceremony was hosted in respect for the 25th death anniversary of the very influential Afghan hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari. Two of the three attackers were killed according to government officials.
Coleraine Shooting
The 6th of March saw a man in his 30s with a woman and teenager escape possible death in a shooting incident at Oakvale. Shots were fired through the window however no much damage was done. The attacker is yet to be identified.
Creggan and Ballymena shooting
Another case of shooting by “masked men” unfolded on the 19th of march in Northern Ireland, this time in Creggan . A man in his 30s was shot on his thigh and was immediately taken to hospital to receive medical treatment. The police reported that the shooting incident was paramilitary in nature. Similarly, 5 masked men marched in another house in another paramilitary kind assault but this time in Ballymena, targeting a 24 year old man using a machete. The victim had suffered several head injuries and was rushed to the hospital.
Barga and Dinguila Attacks
Burkina Faso yet again faced another tragic attack, this time in villages of Barga and Dinguila located in the northern part of the country. The death toll is said to be above 43 people which is yet again concerning given the frequency of terror attacks in the country which are being carried out at an enormous rate in 2020. The country remains in a state of emergency till January 2021 and it is likely that it will be extended further.
The Islamic state and Al-Qaeda are said to be behind these catastrophic attacks in the West-African Country including the one in Barga and Dinguila. The gunmen also managed a wound a great number of people as most of the injuries ended up in fatalities raising the death toll to 50 as per sources.
Kabul Sikh Temple attack
Afghanistan has been home to instability since decades. This instability can be attributed to the fact that the land has been used for proxy wars time and again and been disregarded after the powers achieve their goals. The country now suffers from ongoing militancy and witnessed more horrific shooting attacks this year, with the inclusion of one on a Sikh Temple in Kabul.
26 major casualties took place. This was not the first time that ISIS went out to target the Sikhs who are a minority in Afghanistan. According to reports, more than 150 people were trapped inside the temple when the gunmen entered and opened fire. They were reportedly 2 suicide bombers too who splashed grenades before the gunmen started shooting indiscriminately.
April
Forest Lawn attack
This time in Calgary, a shooting incident unfolded between 4th to 6th April when a man was shot near 18th Avenue and 42nd street. A man was found with wounds from gunshots and was at once taken to the hospital to receive necessary medical treatment. His wounds seemed serious but later on it was clear that his injuries didn’t pose a threat to his life. The police stated that there is no threat to the public however the killer is yet to be identified.
West Papua shooting
The beginning of the month of April proved to be disappointing for the province of West Papua in Indonesia. A foreigner lost his life at a mining company’s office. Graeme Thomas was a 57 year old New Zealander working as an employee at the Miner PT Freeport of Indonesia.
Along with him several others were injured and wounded as well while they were at the freeport’s office in Timika. The Indonesian government blamed the Liberation army whose leader is known as “Joni Botak”, a local commander responsible for the frightening attack aimed at the office. This Liberation army has attempted many attacks before on the Indonesian police and military as they have declared war on the state, putting many companies and employees at risk.
Tensions in Jammu and Kashmir
The territorial dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is one of oldest conflicts today and it is yet to be solved. The one thing that worries the world is that the dispute is between two countries that are rumored to have tough nuclear arsenals, making it a very dangerous situation for the entire world as a nuclear war would have diabolical impacts.
They are frequent ups and downs in the conflict as Indian Administered Kashmir is not a very peaceful place with curfews being imposed time to time, violating the basic human rights of those present in the Indian occupied region. In mid April, the Central Reserve Police Force of India encountered an attack in Sopore town in the northern part of Kashmir. The attackers motives were never revealed, yet the most common motive behind such incidents in the region is that the natives demand freedom from the brutalities the Indian police inflicts upon them. The incident resulted in the death of 3 policemen.
Omagh Shooting
Once again the masked men mafia were involved in causing mayhem in Northern Ireland, this time in Omagh, near Mullaghmore drive.
The masked men forced themselves into the property and began assaulting 3 men. It was reported that they shot numerous fire before demanding for money so the motive was crystal clear.
The police had their say in the matter and stated that the 3 men were lucky to be alive as they dodged death from a very slight distance, luckily no fatalities were recorded.
Nova Scotia shooting
One of most dreadful incidents of 2020 that filled the great country of Canada with horror and terror. The Nova Scotia incident has been called as the worst mass shooting attack in the history of the country. 51 year old Gabriel Wortman, the man responsible for the most outrageous attack in Canadian history was posing as a police officer as he went on a 12 hour hunt, killing 23 people in various locations while injuring several others.
Gabriel had an eye catching criminal record as he had already been pleaded guilty in 2002 over assault however he was discharged over some agreements. Gabriel spread chaos over 16 different locations, travelled with a police car and shot two of the police constables as well. 13 of the people who lost their lives on this dark day were found in Portapique while 4 were in Wentworth. Two people were also found in Debert and three in Shunbenacadie.
It was reported that Gabriel’s first few victims had some personal connections with him after which he went on rampaging over random people resulting in one of the most awful days the nation has witnessed.
Kocaeli Ses shooting attack
In the morning of 20th of April at Turkey, an attack was carried out by gunmen against the Kocaeli based Ses newspaper. The windows of the front entrance were powdered through by the gunmen, 9 shots were aimed at the administrative building with no casualties. Since the attack was launched early in the morning, the office seemed to be empty which sounds relieving. The chief editor of the newspaper had some interesting comments on the attack saying he had pictured an outrage as he claimed that his newspapers are severely authentic and the information they provide is accurately valid where they target every wrong act. The attackers identity and purpose is yet to be discovered.
May
Sheffield Gun Attacks
Four men suffered concerning injuries early morning on the 8th of may in Sheffield. This was not the first shooting attack that Sheffield face this year as we have seen numerous similar cases this year. Four different men were shot on two different locations with the first one occurring on Grimesthorpe road at Burngreave where 3 men were shot and taken immediately to the hospital for required treatment. The other shooting incident carried out at Club Garden Road, Sharrow. The wounded man of age 53 had called the police reporting he had been shot and was quickly shifted to the hospital where they treated his injured arm and leg. No lose of life was recorded.
Niger Attacks
The Western side of Africa has been a target of unrest and instability for the past two years. Burkina Faso, Niger & Mali are three poor countries which have unluckily been cursed with menacing insurgent groups and terror organizations. Between the 9th and 11th may, Niger suffered serious blows which led to loss in life through attacks on villages.
The assailants came on motorbikes and began to loot shops and harshly dealt with the people in the surroundings. Reports say that at least 20 men were killed in these attacks. The state has been under an emergency since 2017 similar to Burkina Faso that declared it in 2019.
The insurgent groups in Mali have also been targeting the UN peace keeping troops who happen to be in great number presently. A day before this incident occurred, three UN peace keeping troops were killed as well.
Corpus Christi Attack
America records the highest number of mass shootings and attacks almost every year. Given the gun rights and the freedom to obtain a license there, it is not an alarming fact that we hear different scary cases everyday. On the 21st of May, The United States of America faced an unusual shooting incident as this time a Naval station was targeted in Texas.
At 6.15 A.M. a few shot were heard at the Texas Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi. The gunman succeeded in just injuring a sailor who was taken to the hospital as soon as possible and received quick media treatment. The FBI labeled the incident as an act of terrorism and disapproved such scenes saying that there is no room for terrorism in the United States and every guilty person would face repercussions just as the attacker did who was neutralized only 90 minutes after he opened fire at the base.
The identity of the shooter nor the motive was revealed as they preferred to keep such information confidential for obvious reasons.
June
Boko Haram Attack on Lagos
Similarly to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso even Nigeria has a recent history of being a target of terrorism. There is mainly one group acting in the country which is called Boko Haram which is deemed responsible for approximately 85% of the onslaughts done in the West African nation.
The state of Nigeria suffered a horrifying attack on the 9th of June 2020 as the suspected party Boko Haram eradicated an entire village in Lagos. The gunmen came in tanks and trunks that were full of weapons and killed at least 81 people as well as causing severe injuries to many. One surviving villager shared how they gathered the people to give a religious lesson after which they started shooting randomly to the point where even women and children were not spared. Other than that the terrorist group kidnapped a few members of the village and stole 400 cattle.
Philippine Policemen Attack
The 14th on June rang bells in the Philippines as two policemen were killed in a shooting incident in the city of Zamboanga. The situation alarmed the authorities greatly as the interchange between the shooters and police was not the first case of terrorism that the country has been facing in recent times.
It was reported that the attacker was armed with an M-16 and shot at least 7 times, killing two policemen who died on their way to the hospital and injured two more. Sources suggested that the gunmen could be local drug traffickers or members of the militant group named Abu Sayyaf which is regarded as one of the most violent groups in the country as they are responsible for many horrible terror attacks in the past.
Ivory Coast Attacks
A military checkpoint was attacked in Ivory coast in Kafolo on the 11th june near the border of Burkina Faso. 10 soldiers lost their lives in this devastating incident with 6 suffering heavy wounds as well. The authorities condemned the attack deeply and launched an investigation to find out who the attackers were.
Military Checkpoint Attacks, Afghanistan
Afghanistan suffered a great deal from attacks in 2020 with at least losing 422 soldiers in approximately 200+ Taliban attacks. In the month of June, Taliban set its eyes on a military checkpoint in the Northern province of Jawzjan in which 12 soldiers lost their lives and 5 of them were wounded as the exchange of firing between the forces and militants took place.5 talibans were also killed.
The spokesman of the provincial government stated that 4 of the soldiers had also been taken as hostages. In another Northern province another attack on a military checkpoint occurred, this time in Kunduz where 5 soldiers were killed and two were injured.
Attack on Policemen in Moscow
Two policemen were attacked in the Russian capital on the 15th of June in a shooting incident. 10 shots were fired at the officers when they were stopping a taxi but were unaware of a street passer who was armed and opened fire on them.
One of the policemen managed to apprehend the shooter, both of them suffered great wounds and one lost his life the next morning. The attacker was identified as 25 year old Ratmir Galayev who shifted to Moscow from Ingushetia. After a deep background check on Ratmir, the authorities found out that he had a clean criminal record and was not a part of any insurgent group, neither was he on the wanted list.
Pakistan Stock Exchange Attack
Without a doubt one of the most shocking incidents of the year, the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange raised a lot of questions and queries and left the country deeply disturbed. The gunmen succeeded in killing two guards and a policeman before bombarding the gates with grenades. The staff took refugee in the building and locked the rooms as they waited for the armed forces to come to their rescue.
Within a few minutes all attackers were neutralized. The alarming fact was that the stock exchange headquarters in Karachi is located in a high security are, yet the militants made their way in. The Baloch Liberation army quickly claimed responsibility for the attack who have also been involved in numerous attacks in the country before, therefore Pakistan has labeled it as a terrorist organization.
Attack on Walmart, California
At the end of the month of June, USA had to face yet another shooting incident. This time a Walmart Distribution Centre was targeted by a former employee who got fired a year ago in 2019. The attacker was a 31 year old man with a semi-automatic rifle who entered the center in Red Bluff and opened fire by 3.30 P.M.
The shooter was unfortunately successful in killing an employee while injuring 4 others before he got shot down by police officials
July
Attack on Rehab Center, Mexico
Mexico’s rehab center in Guanajuato was a target of the deadliest massacre of the year 2020 where the gunmen stormed the rehabilitation center and killed 24 people. The state of Guanajuato has now recorded the highest amount of homicides in the country as gang-wars between a local gang and the Jalisco Cartel have been disrupting peace for long. This rehab center in Guanajuato that was aimed at was however unregistered, meaning that given the frequency of attacks it was not the safest place to be at.
Terror attack in Mali
As mentioned before, Western Africa is currently under turmoil as many insurgent and militant groups have made human life intolerable there with regular terrorist attacks including bombings, shootings and other violent activities. In the first week on July, Mali faced a terrible situation once again. On the 1st of July several villages in Mali were attacked as 30 villagers were killed in the Mopti region. The assailants came on motorcycles and started causing huge material damage before randomly opening fire on the people regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. The disrupting situation in Mali kills approximately 600 people every year according to the United Nations.
South African Church Attack
Ever since the death of the leader of the IPH Church – International Pentecostal Holiness Church, there were several conflicts on the topic of the church’s leadership.
According to IOL reports, tensions were escalating in 2018 resulting In a shoot-out in which the police had to be involved. In the second week of July 2020, a similar outrageous incident unfolded as the IPHC was attacked ending up in the death of 5 men. The cause of the attack was once again the arguments over the leadership of the church. 4 people were shot dead and burnt in cars while the 5th was a security guard who got fatally shot while he took a stand in hopes of combating the attackers. The police reacted quickly and arrested 40 suspects while also seizing dozens of weapons.
Alabama Mall Shooting
Another shooting incident came forward in the United States of America in Alabama in a shopping mall in which an 8 year old boy was killed while 3 others were injured. A man was arrested on suspicion of the carrying out the attack.
An employee working at Hollister in the mall provided information on the case stating that she heard 6 to 8 shots being fired that seemed to flow in all directions, framing a chaotic environment in the mall. The Hoover Police chief expressed sadness over the death of the 8 year old boy named Royta Giles Junior who was a young and enthusiastic little child who wanted to pursue music.
Shooting Attack on Accused
In Pakistan, Tahir Ahmed Naseem, a person accused of disrespecting the Holy Prophet was gunned down while awaiting trial. The attack occurred in the month of July. The attacker was identified by the name of Khalid and was arrested soon after the incident took place.
August
Pennsylvania Shooting Incident
The United States continued to encounter shooting incidents well into the month of august as well. 35 year old Zaborowski who had recently lost his job and custody of his child was not able to deal with the prevalent lock down situation, according to his lawyer. Zaborowski was visiting a Cigar store in Bethlehem without a mask and had left the store without paying for the 2 cigars he took. On being told to take precautions and pay for the cigars he retaliated violently by pulling out a semi-automatic gun and fired randomly in all directions, luckily the bullets did not damage anyone. After a complaint was filed the police went to arrest the shooter but instead had to deal with a rampaging madman with an AK-47 who began firing at them however the police shot back and managed to hit him, after which they apprehended him. The policemen faced minor injuries and Zaborowski was charged with 7 counts of attempted homicide.
Niger Shooting Attack on French Nationals
The West African country was once again put in a chaotic position due to the active insurgent groups such as Boko Haram who has ties with Al Qaeda and ISIS. 8 people were killed near the Koure region which happens to be a popular and attractive visiting spot for the tourist as they can find the final unique herds of giraffes in West Africa. The gunmen shot 6 french citizens which included 4 women and 2 men along with their local guide and the driver as well, all of these people were between the age of 25-32. The french nationals worked for an NGO. French President Emmanuel Macron paid homage to the victims and said that repercussions would be taken against these militants.
Mogadishu Prison Shoot-out
The African state of Somalia has been under disorder since 1991 as the ever lasting conflict between the government and the group of Al Shabab continues. Several prisoners from Al Shabab who had links to Al Qaeda were detained in the Mohadishu prison in Somalia where they were held captive. A small number of the prisoners somehow gained access to arms in the prison after which a concerning shootout toke place in the middle of the Jail. At least 20 people lost their lives in this exchange of fire between the guards and the prisoners. It is still not confirmed how the prisoners got hold of weaponry however they were some reports that one prisoner managed to snatch a rifle from a guard. All the inmates who were involved in the burst where killed, they were said to be 6 in number. It was an embarrassing deal for the Somalian government as the prison was guarded by elite forces and the occurrence of the incident was deemed absurd.
September
Gun Attack on Mourners in Mexico
On the 2nd of September, hours after the Mexican president while addressing his nation stated how the increase in crime had decreased since he came into power and how the country was preparing to bring them to justice, an attack was carried out targeting mourners in the city of Cuernavaca. The people had gathered to mourn over the death of a very young man who lost the battle of life in an unfortunate motorcycle accident when suddenly the gunmen appeared who shot 60 times and managed to kill at least 8 people. The attack was done in a neighbourhood with an already existing high rate of crime. The motive of the attack is yet to be discovered. Mexico has had more than 20,000 cases of registered murder in 2020 with 5 months to go for the year to meet its farewell.
Karachi Civic Centre attack
Two employees of the Karachi Development Authority were shot to death by a gunman on the 15th of September 2020. 53 year old Waseem Raza and 54 year old Muhammad Waseem who were both assistant directors at the development authority were the ones who lost their lives whereas a third superintendent named Haneef was receiving treatment. The motive of the shooter whose name was Hafeezul Hasan was revealed on later as it was told that he opened fire on his boss over disagreements on a transfer and some other posting issues. Hasan was taken into custody by the police and an investigation was launched to look further into the matter.
Chicago Homicides
One again in the United States of America, state of Chicago witnessed two separate shooting incidents between 17th and 18th September, both resulting in deaths of the individuals. A 24 year old man identified as Isaiah Armstrong was found dead in the South of Chicago. It was evident that the man had received a fatal blow to his head and was notably dead.
The killer was not identified nor the motive. The other incident occurred at night by 9.50 P.M. when a man who was walking down the sidewalk near the West Hubbard street faced shots to his head. The man was recognized to be in a serious condition and was taken to hospital as soon as possible
Transgender Activist Shooting in Pakistan
On the 7th of September, a well-known transgender activist Gul Panra was shot down by gunmen and another activist faced injuries as well, all happening in the province of Khyber Pakhtun Khwa in Pakistan. Days after Gul Panra’s death, Saad who was a transgender too was killed by his own brother.
The two incidents that occurred within the space of 4 days ignited protests by the Gender Interactive Alliance Committee which works for the rights of transgender in Pakistan, calling for the government to take necessary measures for the protection of their community.
October
Attack on Indonesian Team
Although Indonesia is regarded as a relatively safe country due to the fact that the crime rate has been decreasing since 2011, there are specific areas where the crime rate is worrisome, given the recent shootings.
The Papua conflict between Indonesia and Western New Guinea brings instability and disruption of peace to several regions as since the free Papua movement has been conducting low leveled guerrilla war against the state of Indonesia by hitting out the police and the military. In the month of September there were a few shooting incidents in Indonesia at the Intan Jaya district resulting in the death of 4 military men and civilians which the authorities felt were needed to be studied. Taking a step forward an Indonesian team was sent to Intan Jaya to investigate the shootings.
While in pursuit of fact-finding, two of the officers were attacked and shot after which they were evacuated to Jakarta to receive medical treatment. The Indonesian military then released a statement saying that the investigation team was attacked by a criminal group and assured to increase security as well as further the growth and speed of the investigations.
New York Shooting Attacks in 2020
Due to Covid-19, the closure of New York City seemed imminent by February. When lockdowns were imposed in March, it was expected that there would be change in the rate of crime as analysts thoroughly observed the trends. There was a major decrease in homicides and shooting incidents as their frequency dropped down drastically. However once summer came along there was an abnormal hike in the crime rate. Yearly, a 28% increase in crime is noted every summer but this time the radars broke when there was 140 to 180% increase in the city’s crime rate.
Between the 23rd to the 26th October, three people were shot in New York City in different shooting incidents. A 27 year old man was shot and badly wounded on October 24th in Queens near the corner of 108 avenue in South Jamaica. Witnesses say that the man was with his girlfriend and a 7 year old child when the gunmen pulled around and opened fire on them.
On the 25th of October 2020, a different incident unfolded when a 28 year man, standing with people was shot in Coney Island. The man was taken to the hospital immediately where his condition got better. The next day another man of age 29 was shot in his abdomen near Tiebout Avenue however he was quickly transferred to a hospital where he received quick medical treatment.
Cameroon School Shooting
It is a known fact that shooting attacks in the modern world are very common but it makes us question humanity when these attacks are on educational institutes such as schools and colleges or religious places such as mosques and churches.
In Central Africa’s state of Cameroon a similar despairing situation unfolded when a school was attacked in the city of Kumba. The suspicion of the attack directly went towards the Anglophone secessionists who aim to seek Independence from the government of Cameroon for the Anglophone territories in the north-west and south-west. Therefore to pressure the government into freedom they are said to have a history of carrying out such attacks, with the recent one being on the Mother Francisca School in Fiango. This attack proved to be extremely horrendous as at least 6 students lost their lives and many others faced injuries as some tried to escape the attack which led them to jump off floors. The scenes were haunting as shown in video footage.
The attackers came on motorcycles and opened fire in the classrooms on children which were between 12 to 14 years of age. It was shown in the footage how the adults were carrying the wounded children. The exact motive of the attack is yet to be known but none the less this was one of the worst cases of shooting attacks done in 2020.
Lyon Priest attack
Just days after 3 men in a church Nice were killed near Cote d’Azur, another violent attack was attempted on a priest in the city of Lyon. The name of priest according to the French media was Nikolaos Kakavelakis who, when closing down the church, got shot twice by the gunman resulting in him receiving serious injuries on his stomach. A man who was suspected of being involved in the incident was said to be arrested, the police launched an investigation into the matter for attempted murder however the man was released a few days later.
November
Vienna Shooting Incident
Another drastic and surprising incident came forward in the start of November this year in the capital of Austria, the great city of music, Vienna. Shootings and terrorist attacks are not very common in the state of Austria so the occurrence of unexpected circumstances put the nation in horror and shock.
The incident happened on the 2nd of November near the famous night life spot in Vienna named Bermuda Triangle. People were in large numbers as Covid restrictions were soon to be implemented. The attacker who was attacking alone opened fire on the people killing two men and two women. He also managed to injure approximately 22 people but the gunman himself could not run as he was neutralized soon enough.
The authorities labeled it as an extremist attack done by using Islam’s name as the suspect was a 20 year old man who was convicted after he was caught while he tried travelling to Syria to join forces with ISIS. The authorities felt that more than one person might be involved in this incident but after examining 20,000 pieces of video footage it was concluded that the shooter was acting alone. Sebastian Kurz, the chancellor of Austria stated that it was a well-planned terror attack which he deeply condemned.
Kabul University Attack
Attacks on schools and universities are perhaps the worst types of shooting attacks. One such attack was launched on an educational institute in Afghanistan, in its capital at Kabul. The blame was thrown towards Taliban for planning out the attack however they rejected all claims.
The Islamic state of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) soon afterwards claimed responsibility for the sickening attack on Kabul University. Survivors described the chaotic scene inside on how a suicide bomber blew himself in a classroom, two gunmen opening fire without any discrimination and the panicked students who had mixed feelings of confusion and fear. 22 people lost their lives and 22 others got injured. Kabul has been a target of many terrorist attacks this year but this was by far the worst one.
Reaching the end of the year we can conclude that the human race on the whole has experienced many terrifying incidents in the year 2020. Surprisingly, the crime rate and shooting attacks never grew less even in lockdowns due to the corona virus. Let us all hope now that the last month brings forth joy, peace and love, for everyone in the world!
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
