The Fourth of July weekend, historically the time when Americans celebrate independence by shooting off fireworks and each other, lived up to its grim reputation this year. A shooting at the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, Michigan, left two people dead and a third injured, according to police. The altercation, which police chief Issa Shahin described as not random, involved two groups of young people who knew each other and escalated from a fight to gunfire. Both groups, because nothing says 'conflict resolution' like everyone bringing a handgun, were armed. One victim died inside the mall, another at a nearby hospital, and details on the third shooting victim remain as undisclosed as the suspects' whereabouts - though people linked to the fight are being questioned, no one has been taken into custody. The mall, which boasts over 125 stores and restaurants, was evacuated and will stay closed while police investigate. A video on social media shows people fleeing after gunshots, a fitting soundtrack for a weekend that, in 2024, saw the Gun Violence Archive report over 500 shootings across the country. Because nothing says 'land of the free' quite like a holiday weekend body count.