From Idaho to Colorado Springs

America was rocked by a multitude of serious crimes, including mass shootings, murders and assaults, throughout 2022. Here is a look at some of those horrific events.

Vigils and police crime scenes from incidents that occurred in America during 2022. They included the Uvalde School shooting, Walmart mass shooting, Club Q shooting and Highland Park shooting.
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Uvalde Shooting – May 24

On Tuesday, May 24, an 18-year-old gunman entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, with an AR-15 and committed a mass shooting.

The gunman was able to kill 19 children and two adults, who were teachers attempting to protect their students at the school.

The mass shooting became global news as it had become the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook over 10 years ago.

In addition to this, the Uvalde Police Department faced significant criticism for how it handled the situation.

Flowers are placed on a makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. A teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers in the shooting.
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It took officers over an hour to confront and kill the shooter within the school. Many remarked that police should have engaged sooner and more aggressively. In addition to this, videos authorities showing within the school still not engaging the shooter also circulated after the incident.

Following investigations into police conduct during the shooting, there were multiple firings. Uvalde School District also suspended its entire police force.

Highland Park Shooting – July 4th

A gunman in Highland Park, Illinois, shot and killed seven people and injured more than 30 others at a 4th of July parade.

The shooter successfully fled the scene, but he was eventually stopped and captured by law enforcement that same day.

Five of the seven victims were pronounced dead at the scene, with another victim succumbing to their injuries in a local hospital.

First responders take away victims from the scene of a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. At least six people were killed and 19 injured.
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While all of those who died were 35 or older, with the oldest being 88, those injured ranged from 8 to 85 years of age.

After the shooting, the gunman was able to drive to the Madison, Wisconsin area. Authorities have said the shooter considered committing another mass shooting in the area with weapons stashed in his car.

He was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder, and if convicted he will face a mandatory life sentence without parole.

Paul Pelosi Attack – October 28

While no one was killed in the attack against the husband of then-Speakers of the House Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, it remained one of the most talked about crime stories.

On October 28 at his San Francisco home, Paul Pelosi was attacked by a Berkeley man, 42-year-old David Wayne Depape.

Depape is alleged to have broken into the home, attacked Pelosi, 82, with a hammer, fracturing his skull, while reportedly shouting about his intended target being Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi attend the 23rd Annual Mark Twain Prize For American Humor at The Kennedy Center on April 24, 2022, in Washington, DC. The businessman and longtime husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was attacked in the couple’s San Francisco home on October 28 by a Berkeley man.
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Depape is set to be arranged on December 28 on charges that include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false impronsment of an elder, first-degree burglary and threatening the family member of a public official.

Following an interview with Depape, San Francisco Police Sgt. Carla Hurley said that he had a “hit list” that also included President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. As well as these political figures, Depape also discussed having actor Tom Hanks and feminist author Gale Breen on this list.

In the latest court hearing on the incident, body camera footage also showed an officer told DePape to drop the hammer, before he swung it at Paul Pelosi anyway. This has further dispelled conspiracy theories that began circulating following the attack.

Idaho Murders-November 13

The murder of four University students in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13 has continued to grip the minds of many people online.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were all found dead in an off-campus rental house with stab wounds. However, police have been unable to identify a suspect or make any arrests.

Two other roommates slept through the stabbings, which sparked concern from the public, however police were able to successfully rule them out as potential suspects.

Police believe the killer used a fixed-blade knife, but no weapon was retrieved at or near the scene of the crime.

Four University of Idaho students were found dead on November 13 at this three-story home on King Road in Moscow, Idaho. Police have also admitted that students going home for the Christmas break will make the investigation more difficult.
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Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole has spoken to Newsweek and suggested the killer would have had knowledge of the home in order to commit the attack quickly and escape.

She said: “When you murder four people, you’re gonna get in and out pretty quickly, and so in order to do that, and lowering your own risk level, you have to have some knowledge of that place.”

Police have also admitted that students going home for the Christmas break will make the investigation more difficult.

The Moscow Police Chief James Fry insisted that the pace of the investigation would not slow down, however.

Club Q Shooting – November 19-20

A mass shooting at an LGBT club in Colorado on November 19 night into November 20 morning stunned the community as well as the wider American population.

The incident took place in Colorado Springs at Club Q and resulted in the deaths of five people, and at least 18 people were injured.

The shooter stormed the club and sprayed his AR-15-style rifle at groups inside just before midnight.

Investigators said that the gunman attacked the venue during a drag queen’s birthday party and was only stopped thanks to the efforts of people within the club attacking him and restraining him.

Mourners at a memorial outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A gunman opened fire inside the LGBTQ+ club on November 19th, killing 5 and injuring 25 others.
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The shooter was arrested at the venue and has since been held in El Paso county jail on suspicion of five counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of Raymond Green Vance, Daniel Aston, Ashley Paugh, Derrick Rump and Kelly Loving.

District Attorney Michael Allen has said that charging the shooter with hate crimes would not lead to the toughest punishment so has elected for murder charges.

He did add that there was evidence that showed the alleged crime was bias-motivated, and he would pursue those charges to show “that we support communities that have been maligned, harassed, intimidated and abused.”

This particular shooting caused mass debate as there had been protests against drag shows for adults and drag performers interacting with children, across the country.

Walmart Shooting – November 22nd

A Walmart employee shot and killed six people and then himself, in the latest mass shooting that took place in America this year.

The incident took place on November 22 and also resulted in several other people being injured as there were at least 50 people in the store at the time.

Police were called to the store shortly after the shooting began and confirmed that the gunman had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before they arrived.

The shooter worked as an overnight team lead at the store and had been employed by the company since 2010, Walmart confirmed in a statement to Newsweek.

Three of the dead were found in the break room. One of the victims was found dead near the front of the store and three others were taken to local hospitals where they died.

A memorial is seen at the site of a fatal shooting at a Walmart on November 23, 2022 in Chesapeake, Virginia. The shooting resulted in the deaths of six people.
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The names of the victims were Randy Blevins, Fernando Chavez-Baron, Lorenzo Gamble, Tyneka Johnson, Brian Pendleton and Kellie Pyle.

Police said the shooter was armed with a handgun and several magazines of ammunition. Investigators also looked into the suspect’s background in order to find a potential motivation for the shooting.

According to a Virginia TV Station report by WAVY-TV, the shooter may have been motivated by colleagues harassing him about a change in his employment status. It’s not clear what that change was, however.