Gun violence, or crimes committed with the use of a firearm, include shootings that result in homicide, suicide, unintentional injury, or death from the misuse of a firearm. According to our CDC, 39,773 people died from gun-related injuries in 2017. These include 23,854 suicides, 14,542 murders, 486 unintentional shootings and 553 deaths that involved law enforcement. Of our 310 million civilian firearms, 114 million of these are handguns, 110 million are rifles and 86 million are shotguns. In 2010, rifles were used in about 360 murders while handguns were used in about 6,000. Another 2,000 murders were committed with an unreported firearm type. But besides statistics, there is little research which details the causes, circumstances, or effects of gun violence in our society.
Pending Legislation:
H.R.435 - National Gun Violence Research Act
Select Criteria