Violent Easter weekend in the United States: two dead and dozens injured in three mass shootings | Abroad

Also on Sunday morning, at least nine people were injured in a shooting at a South Carolina nightclub. And a day earlier, in the same state, a shooting was fired at a busy Columbia mall, killing nine people and wounding five others as they fled in panic. Incidentally, no one suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police have arrested a 22-year-old suspect in the mall shooting, but his attorney says he shot in self-defense. He is accused of illegally carrying a firearm because he did not have a license to do so.

The three Easter weekend shootings closely follow several other major shootings in recent times. Last week, a gunman opened fire on a New York City subway, injuring 10 people. Around the same time, a man and woman were killed and 10 people injured in a crowded nightclub in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Earlier this month, six people were killed and 12 injured in a busy nightlife district of Sacramento, California in a shootout between rival gangs. And last month, 10 people were shot at a party in Dallas.