Halloween Weekend Marked by Deadly Gun Violence Across Multiple States

More than a dozen people were killed and more than 90 others were injured over a Halloween weekend marred by gun violence, as multiple shootings across the country upended celebrations and turned community gatherings into crime scenes.

With at least 13 people dead and 92 injured, the weekend ranked among the most violent Halloween periods in recent years, according to CNN’s preliminary estimates based in part on tallies from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. The count is not exhaustive, but it offers a glimpse into a string of shootings that stretched from college towns and nightlife districts to a costume store and a high-profile college football rivalry.

Pregnant Woman Killed at Spirit Halloween Store in Northern California

One of the first deaths occurred on the eve of Halloween at a Spirit Halloween store in Fairfield, California, northeast of San Francisco. Constance Hages, 31, who family members said was pregnant, was inside the store when gunfire erupted at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, police said. Six other people were wounded, including three in critical condition. The shopping center canceled the next day’s trick-or-treating event after the shooting.

A California man told CNN that his wife dropped her keys and ran after she heard screaming and gunshots inside the store.

Shootings Follow Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Alabama

In Alabama, two shootings just minutes apart followed the end of the Magic City Classic, the eight-decade football rivalry between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University at Birmingham’s 71,000-seat Legion Field. The gunfire erupted just before 8 p.m. near vendors outside the stadium, killing one person and wounding eight others.

Birmingham police took a 17-year-old who was not affiliated with either university into custody. The teenager was carrying a gun equipped with a Glock conversion switch, according to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.

“We can have an honest conversation about public safety while continuing to embrace and celebrate the traditions that have helped shape our city and our institution,” Woodfin told reporters on Sunday afternoon.

Delaware Records Two Mass Shootings in One Halloween Night

Delaware, a state of just over 1 million people, experienced two mass shootings in just over an hour on Halloween night.

At an outdoor party in Ellendale, a small town about 20 miles northwest of Rehoboth Beach, someone opened fire into the crowd from a neighboring property just before 10 p.m. Nine people were hit, including a 17-year-old girl who later died from her injuries. Those injured ranged in age from 17 to 22.

Just after 11:13 p.m., another mass shooting unfolded along a crowded Main Street near the University of Delaware in Newark. Six people were shot and taken to hospitals.

“This is not normal,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement. “We must never accept gun violence as a part of life in Delaware.”

“This is not normal,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement. “We must never accept gun violence as a part of life in Delaware.”

University of Delaware President Laura A. Carlson asked the campus community to keep the victims in their thoughts and acknowledge the toll on students who witnessed the violence.

Bloodshed Spreads From Texas and Florida to the Midwest

Later Saturday and early Sunday, violence spread to other states.

Near the U.S.-Mexico border, gunfire erupted at a Halloween birthday party just north of Edinburg, Texas, around 11:45 p.m., wounding seven people with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

In Dallas, three shootings in the Deep Ellum nightlife district beginning just after midnight left four people dead and at least 15 others injured. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said additional officers were already patrolling because of Halloween events.

In Jacksonville, Florida, two Halloween parties resulted in two deaths and 11 injuries. One shooting occurred around 1:45 a.m. while people waited in line for a party, fatally wounding a 17-year-old girl. The second, just over two hours later at a house party, left a 20-year-old man dead and nine others hurt, including one with life-threatening injuries.

In Jackson, Mississippi, two men wearing ski masks entered a nightclub hosting a costume party early Sunday and opened fire on the dance floor, killing a man and a woman and injuring four others.

In Arkansas, Fayetteville police responding to a shooting near Dickson Street found six people shot; all were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Two cities named Bloomington — one in Illinois and one in Indiana — recorded early Sunday shootings that left one person dead and 14 injured. In Illinois, a 19-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene near Illinois Wesleyan University. In Indiana, seven people between 17 and 27 years old were injured on a downtown street corner; none were Bloomington students, Mayor Kerry Thomson said, and all were from the Indianapolis area.

Additional violence was reported in Flint, Michigan, where one woman was killed at a party, and in Wichita, Kansas, where four people were shot after an after-party, including a man struck in the face by a stray bullet while looking out a window.

National Context: Hundreds of Mass Shootings Already in 2026

The Halloween violence came just over two weeks after a mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school killed three students and a teacher inside a special needs classroom. So far this year, there have been nearly 400 mass shootings in the United States — more than one per day — according to the Gun Violence Archive’s ongoing tally.

Officials Urge Calm While Confronting Public Safety Crisis

Elected officials and police leaders across the country responded with statements of grief and calls for action. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said his heart goes out to the victims, while Birmingham’s mayor emphasized that the city could mourn and seek justice without abandoning its traditions.

“I am saddened by the heinous acts of violence our community endured this weekend,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said in a statement. “My heart goes out to the victims of these senseless acts and the many others impacted.”

As communities process the weekend’s losses, the incidents underscore a recurring pattern: holidays and major events continue to be punctuated by gun violence, leaving families, students, and local leaders searching for answers.

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