Guns in the United States

GUNSINTHE UNITEDSTATES S AMERICANSLEAD THEWORLDINGUN OWNERSHIP.AND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL IMPACT ON SOCIETY OF MORE THEUNITEDSTATES OF GUNOWNERSHIP 4.4% The U.S. accounts for: Of the world's population Firearms owners 85 million Firearms 300 million and 46% of the world's guns Gun ownership Gun ownership rates by state 50%+ 40% - 50% | 20% - 40% >20% >10% GUNS AND DEATH More than 30,000 people died in gun-related incidents in the U.S. in 2009. Homicide was the 15th-leading cause of death in the United States in 2009. And guns were involved in more than 68% of those deaths. Accident Homicide Suicide 554 11,493 18,735 Causes of gun-related deaths Firearm homicides Homicides 16,799 11,493 Among some of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world, the United States' homicide rate is one of the highest. The homicide rate in the U.S. is 12 times that of Japan. Homicides per 100,000 population, select countries, most recent years available 10.2 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 italy 0.8 0.4 Germany Japan 4.8 1.6 Russia United States Canada Great Britain France China On the average day in the U.S.: 8CHILDREN 87 PEOPLE 47 CHILDREN AND TEENS And teens die from gun violence. Die from gun violence, 33 of them murdered. 183PEOPLE 38CHILDREN 270 people in America, 47 of them children and teens, are shot in murders, assaults, suicides, accidents and police intervention. 183 people are shot but survive their gun injuries. 38 children and teens are shot, but survive their gun injuries. GUN VIOLENCE HITSHOME Repeated studies have shown that the presence of a gun boosts the risk of gun-related violence in the home. 2.7 TIMES Men are more likely to be homiçide victims overall, but women are over/ Increased risk of homicide 31/2 times more likely to be killed by an intimate partner compared to men. 4.8 TIMES Increased risk of suicide In 2005, about 4 U%of female homicide victims ages 15-50 were killed by a current or former intimate partner. Guns were used in 37.5% 55% Female murder victims in 2005 who were killed by their husbands or boyfriends Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher in December shot his longtime girlfriend to death before turning the gun òn himself outside team's practice facility. of those cases. OTHER CRIMES Rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated/simple assault cases that involved firearms in 2008 A frequent assertion among those who oppose new gun regulations is that everyday people need to arm themselves to provide protection from criminals, who they presume are also armed. Their repeated suggestion is that if not for prolific private gun ownership, hundreds of thousands more innocent people would die every year when faced with criminals. But the statistics paint a different picture. 7%- 68% Firearms were used in just 2007 murders committed with firearms 7% of violent crimes in 2007 and 2008. Homicides of youths 10-19 committed with firearms In fact, in most violent crimes, excluding murder, 81% no weapon at all used. No weapon used by violent incident type, 2008 74% 80% 49% 77% Violent Rape Robbery Assault crime MORE GUNS, MORE SAFETY? DESPITE calls for civilians to arm themselves for their own protection, there are on average about Individuals in possession of a gun at the time of an assault are 240 2.1% 4.46TIMES justifiable homicides, such as the shooting of a home intruder, per year in the U.S. Proportion of all gun-related homicides more likely to be shot in the assault. A 1998 study showed that for every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, were used for unintentional shootings for attempted or completed suicides for criminal assaults 11 or homicides INTHERIGHTHANDS? Strong gun regulations aren't always paired with strict enforcement. 20UT OF 5" Guns sold in the U.S. withoutbackground checks SOURCES nyc.gov; Coalition to Stop Gun Violence; Brady Campaign; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Bureau of Justice Statistics; Center to Prevent Youth Violence;Hoovers.com; Federation of American Scientists; Violence Policy Center; Washington Post; New Yorker; National Shooting Sports Foundation http://www.numbersleuth.org/