WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. States of California and Illinois have seen a surge in highway shootings in recent years, NBC News reported recently.

       Reports of highway shootings in California jumped from 210 in 2019 to about 500 in the first 11 months of 2021, killing 50 and injuring hundreds of people, while highway shootings in Illinois in 2021 nearly tripled 2019's tally, NBC said.

       Pandemic-related stress combined with increased gun sales is behind the increase, NBC cited a recent report from the U.S. nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety as saying, adding that the trend didn't appear to be slowing.