Gun violence is a common occurrence in America, but the topic is highly political, putting gun control proponents against others who vehemently defend their right to bear arms.
We investigated some of the statistics around firearms in the United States.
The number of mass shootings is increasing.
So far this year, there have been at least 160 mass shootings in the United States. These include an attack on a 16th birthday celebration in Alabama that killed four people, an attack on a school in Nashville that killed three children and three adults, and a mass shooting in Kentucky last Monday that killed four people.
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research database, the number of mass shootings has increased dramatically in recent years.
There have been almost 600 mass shootings in the last three years, over two every day on average.
While there is no uniform definition of “mass shootings” in the United States, the Gun Violence Archive defines one as an occurrence in which four or more persons are injured or killed. Their statistics cover shootings in both private residences and public areas.
The deadliest such incident, which occurred in Las Vegas in 2017, killed more than 50 people and injured 500 more. However, the great majority of mass shootings kill fewer than ten people.
What is the breakdown of gun deaths in the United States?
According to the most recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48,830 persons died from gun-related injuries in the United States in 2021.
This represents an almost 8% increase over 2020, which was a record-breaking year for gunshot deaths.
While mass shootings and gun killings (homicides) receive a lot of media attention, suicides will account for more than half of all homicides in 2021.
According to the CDC, more than 20,000 of the deaths that year were homicides.
According to data, more than 50 individuals are killed by firearms in the United States every day.
That is a much higher proportion of homicides than in Canada, Australia, England and Wales, and many other countries.
How many guns are there in the United States?
While quantifying the number of weapons in private hands around the world is challenging, the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research organization, estimates that 390 million guns were in circulation in the United States in 2018.
The US ratio of 120.5 firearms per 100 citizens, up from 88 in 2011, vastly outnumbers that of other countries worldwide.
According to more current data from the United States, gun ownership has increased dramatically in recent years. According to a February research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 7.5 million US people gained new gun owners between January 2019 and April 2021.
As a result, 11 million people, including 5 million children, were exposed to firearms in their homes. Approximately half of the new gun owners at the time were women, with 40% being black or Hispanic.
Who is in favor of gun control?
The majority of Americans support gun regulation.
According to Gallup polls, 57% of Americans asked preferred stricter gun legislation, albeit this figure declined last year.
32% believe the laws should remain unchanged, while 10% believe they should be “loosened.”
The subject is exceedingly controversial, dividing people mostly along political lines.
Another Gallup poll found that “Democrats are nearly unanimous in their support for stricter gun laws,” with nearly 91% in favor.
Only 24% of Republicans, along with 45% of Independent voters, agreed with the same statement.
Some states have banned or highly regulated the ownership of assault weapons. The laws differ by state, but California, for example, has outlawed the possession of assault weapons with few restrictions.
Some limits, such as those restricting the sale of firearms to those who are mentally ill or on “watch” lists, are universally supported by people across the political spectrum.
Who is opposed to gun control?
Despite years of financial difficulties and internal struggle, the National Rifle Association (NRA) remains the most influential gun lobby in the United States, with a sizable budget to influence lawmakers on gun policy.
It and other organizations have regularly spent more on pro-gun rights messaging than their opponents in the gun control lobby over the last three election cycles.
A few of states have also gone so far as to remove most limitations on who can carry a firearm. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, for example, signed a “permitless carry bill” into law in June 2021, allowing residents of the state to carry handguns without a license or training.
Similarly, Georgia became the 25th state in the country to eliminate the requirement for a permit to conceal or openly carry a firearm in April of last year. According to the law, any citizen of that state is permitted to carry a firearm without a license or authorization.
The NRA supported the legislation, and officials described it as “a monumental moment for the Second Amendment.”
