From the first day of the year to the end of June, the US endured 28 mass killings, and the death toll rose just about every week

Slain at the hands of strangers or gunned down by loved ones. Massacred in small towns, in big cities, inside their own homes or outside in broad daylight. This year’s unrelenting bloodshed across the US has led to the grimmest of milestones – the deadliest six months of mass killings recorded since at least 2006.

From 1 January to 30 June, the nation endured 28 mass killings, all but one of which involved guns. The death toll rose just about every week, a constant cycle of violence and grief.