Gun violence in the United States - statistics & facts
In the United States, acts of violence committed with the use of firearms have become an everyday phenomenon plaguing the nation. Averaging almost 50,000 deaths from firearms annually, the United States is the only high-income country to report such a high death toll from gun violence. From 2016 onwards, there has been over 10,000 homicides by firearm in the U.S. each year and firearms were the most used murder weapon in the nation by far. In addition, the number of mass shootings and school shootings has been increasing over the last few years, with younger Americans emphasizing the reduction of gun violence and mass shootings as one of the most important issues to their generation. Despite rising rates of gun violence, however, many Americans remain fiercely protective of their constitutional right to bear arms.
Due to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which states that citizens have the right to bear arms, the United States has remained reluctant to pass any gun control legislation on a national level. Instead, the topic of gun control has become a highly partisan issue in the United States, with 74 percent of Democrats believing that it was more important to limit gun ownership while 75 percent of Republicans felt it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns. In addition, gun laws in the U.S. vary from state to state, often based on differing political views, and states have several laws in place to determine whether residents are allowed to purchase or carry a gun without a permit, register their guns with the state, or openly carry a firearm in public. As of 2024, less than half of U.S. states required background checks and/or permits before the purchase of a handgun and only 13 states had regulations on residents openly carrying a firearm in public, providing many Americans with easy access to purchase and carry firearms.
Studies have shown that states with strong gun safety laws in place generally experience less gun violence, indicating that easy access to firearms is one of the main drivers of gun violence. However, strong gun laws do not always protect states from gun violence. Some states with strong gun laws continue to face high rates of gun violence as a result of gun trafficking, as traffickers will cross state lines to distribute firearms illegally. While it’s difficult to accurately estimate the number of privately owned guns in the U.S. when many guns are unregistered and unaccounted for, almost half of American households have reported owning at least one firearm. In addition, advocates of gun control measures often point out the uniquely American phenomenon of school shootings, suggesting that stricter gun control laws in other countries have helped reduce the frequency of such events. Conversely, gun rights advocates have instead argued that providing additional firearms to teachers and school staff as a form of self-protection would reduce the number of future school shootings, further demonstrating the nation’s culture in which owning a deadly weapon is seen as a personal freedom.
The political culture of guns
Due to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which states that citizens have the right to bear arms, the United States has remained reluctant to pass any gun control legislation on a national level. Instead, the topic of gun control has become a highly partisan issue in the United States, with 74 percent of Democrats believing that it was more important to limit gun ownership while 75 percent of Republicans felt it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns. In addition, gun laws in the U.S. vary from state to state, often based on differing political views, and states have several laws in place to determine whether residents are allowed to purchase or carry a gun without a permit, register their guns with the state, or openly carry a firearm in public. As of 2024, less than half of U.S. states required background checks and/or permits before the purchase of a handgun and only 13 states had regulations on residents openly carrying a firearm in public, providing many Americans with easy access to purchase and carry firearms.
The importance of gun laws
Studies have shown that states with strong gun safety laws in place generally experience less gun violence, indicating that easy access to firearms is one of the main drivers of gun violence. However, strong gun laws do not always protect states from gun violence. Some states with strong gun laws continue to face high rates of gun violence as a result of gun trafficking, as traffickers will cross state lines to distribute firearms illegally. While it’s difficult to accurately estimate the number of privately owned guns in the U.S. when many guns are unregistered and unaccounted for, almost half of American households have reported owning at least one firearm. In addition, advocates of gun control measures often point out the uniquely American phenomenon of school shootings, suggesting that stricter gun control laws in other countries have helped reduce the frequency of such events. Conversely, gun rights advocates have instead argued that providing additional firearms to teachers and school staff as a form of self-protection would reduce the number of future school shootings, further demonstrating the nation’s culture in which owning a deadly weapon is seen as a personal freedom.
