What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for October 23rd - 29th, 2023

Artist Miia Zellner walks away after nailing hearts she made to trees on Oct. 26, 2023, the day after a mass shooting took place in Lewiston, Maine. (Photo by John Tlumacki/via Getty Images)

Below is a catch-up of the significant events of this past week. You can check in with a minimal time commitment, read about the big stuff, and stay in the know before we’re on to the next. If you want more information on the past week's events, you can scroll through my Twitter; Bluesky; Spoutible; and Post News feeds for more detail on other topics that I don’t mention below.

Gun Violence This Week

There were 13 separate mass shooting incidents in the United States this past week, where 33 people were killed and 55 were injured. My Sunday recap covers this, as well as the week's most critical news. Here at SHERO, we document all mass shooting incidents for the week every Sunday, so please take a moment to review them and remember to keep up the fight for sensible gun reform. 

1. Sunday, October 22, 2023: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

2. Sunday, October 22, 2023: Meridian, Mississippi

3. Sunday, October 22, 2023: Alexandria, Louisiana

4. Monday, October 23, 2023: Durango, Colorado

5. Monday, October 23, 2023: Chicago, Illinois

6. Tuesday, October 24, 2023: Greenville, North Carolina

7. Wednesday, October 25, 2023: Lewiston, Maine

8. Thursday, October 26, 2023: Clinton, North Carolina

9. Friday, October 27, 2023: Mansfield, Ohio

10. Saturday, October 28, 2023: Texarkana, Texas

11. Saturday, October 28, 2023: Chicago, Illinois

12. Saturday, October 28, 2023: Cumberland, Maryland

13. Sunday, October 29, 2023: Indianapolis, Indiana

• Mark Meadows, former Chief of Staff to Donald Trump, has spoken with special counsel Jack Smith's team at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury. This appearance came only after Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath, according to sources familiar with the matter.

• While returning to New Hampshire on Monday to register for the presidential primary, former President Donald Trump compared himself to anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, casting himself as the victim of federal and state prosecutors he alleges are targeting him and his businesses for political reasons.

• On Monday, the terrorist group Hamas released two elderly Israeli women that were held hostage in Gaza, as the United States expressed increasing concern that the escalating Israel-Hamas war will spark a wider conflict in the region, including attacks on American troops.