Seven people, including two kids, killed in US shootings

Shooting incidents in four US states have left seven people dead, including two children, officials say.

A 39-year-old man and two of his five children were shot dead on Saturday in south suburban Hazel Crest, Cook County, Illinois.

The victims, identified as Dionus Neely, Ellie Neely, 10; and India Neely, 3, were all transported to hospital, but were pronounced dead.

According to police, the father, who had an extensive criminal record, may have been the target.

“All five of them were here last night,” a neighbor said. “They were playing with my granddaughter and the girls next door. They were all here as usual, running around, playing together.”

An investigation is underway, with police looking for the shooter, who has not been identified.

In Washington, two separate shootings left two people dead in both the Northeast and the Southeast.

Police officers arrived at the scene of a shooting in the 200 block of 50th Street NE to find an unconscious and unresponsive man with a gunshot wound. The victim died at the scene.

Another man was also found in the 3500 block of 18th Street SE, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was unconscious and was taken to hospital where he died.

In Virginia, an Alexandria man was fatally shot early Saturday morning, marking the city’s fourth homicide this year.

The man, identified as Saquan Hall, 23, was hospitalized following the incident, but later died of his injuries.

In Maryland, one person was killed and another was injured in a double shooting at a motel on Saturday.

Amanda Diane Duer, 29, of La Plata, was shot at the Turf Motel in Laurel and later died at a hospital.

A man was also shot at the same motel and was hospitalized in non-threatening condition.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms are the cause of death for more than 33,000 people in the United States every year, a number that includes accidental discharge, murder, and suicides.