Shootings unfortunately made up a large part of this year’s biggest national stories, peppered with highlights from Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, and the Supreme Court making two historic rulings:
Mass Shootings
The largest death toll occurred in San Bernardino, California, on December 2, when 14 people were killed at the Inland Regional Center, the deadliest shooting since Sandy Hook.
Several other shootings devastated states across the country:
Four Marines and a sailor were killed at a recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Nine people were killed when a gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
Two people were killed in a shooting at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Two journalists from CNN affiliate WDBJ in Virginia were gunned down on live TV by a disgruntled former employee.
Nine people were killed at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, sparking a national debate over the Confederate flag and prompting its removal from the South Carolina Capitol grounds.
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter groups continued to rally across the country — this year in the names of Freddie Gray, Jamar Clark and Walter Scott. Protests targeting police brutality, injustice and racial inequality in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and Minneapolis became a frequent occurrence.
Supreme Court rulings
History was made this year at the Supreme Court when the justices voted to save the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and approved same-sex marriage nationwide.
Kim Davis
But one county clerk in Kentucky didn’t follow that ruling and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples — and was subsequently jailed. She was released five days later in a very public display of celebration, accompanied by Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee and her husband.
Pope Francis Visit
Pope Francis made a historic visit to the United States and Cuba this year, visiting New York, Philadelphia and Washington. He was the first pope to address Congress.
#DeflateGate
And one of the most controversial stories of the year sparked arguments nationwide, when the New England Patriots were accused of cheating in the Superbowl against the Indianapolis Colts. The story spawned a widely shared hashtag that became so embedded in normal conversation, it became the de facto name of the scandal — #DeflateGate.