July Fourth holiday marked by shootings in several cities and a fireworks-related death

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) — This year’s Fourth of July holiday was marked by multiple shootings across the U.S., including one in Indianapolis that left at least two dead and a police chief voicing public frustration over the latest acts of violence in his city.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Chris Bailey told reporters early Saturday morning that the mayhem was “completely unacceptable and unnecessary” and that parents and guardians needed to better control their children.

“Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here,” he said, while speaking in the city’s downtown. “I don’t know how many times I had to say it: We are not your children’s keepers. You are! And parents and guardians have got to step up. A kid is dead tonight.”

Mass shootings were reported in other cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago and Brockton, Massachusetts, where six people were hospitalized following an early morning fight on Saturday.

Violence and shootings often surge in the summer months, especially around the Fourth of July, historically one of the deadliest days of the year in the U.S.

The shooting in Chicago, which left seven people in serious or critical condition, came on the heels of another mass shooting that happened late Wednesday in a busy neighborhood known for its restaurants and nightlife. Four people were killed and 14 others injured.

In the New York City borough of Queens, police said one person was dead and three injured following a post-fireworks triple stabbing.

Meanwhile, a Wareham, Massachusetts, man is dead after being hit by a firework. Police said they found 70-year-old Robert Spagnuolo with a “facial injury.” He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials in Georgia reported two boat explosions on lakes on Friday.

Seven people ranging in age from 5 to 45 suffered second- and third-degree burns when a boat exploded on Lake Lanier, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Seven more people suffered burns when a boat exploded and then sank on Lake Nottely, the department said.