US Gun Deaths Down

While it may not seem to be case, gun deaths in America are down. Public perception is the opposite. Perception may be different than reality because taboos against recognizing the issue are being successfully challenged, possibly thanks to increased communication through community action and social media.

“Between 1993 and 2000, the gun homicide rate dropped by nearly half, from 7.0 homicides to 3.8 homicides per 100,000 people.” – Pew Research

The decrease does not, however suggest the problem is small. There are still about 11,000 to 12,000 gun-related deaths per year in the US. That’s about 30 people per day or more than one per hour. Death by police wasn’t tallied effectively until this year; but Mother Jones’ project has found over 1,000 police-related gun deaths so far in 2015. The occurrence of mass-shootings is also increasing. And, while the total remains relatively constant, the number of suicides is rising and now accounts for more than half the total. There is equal support for protecting gun ownership and also for increased gun control; but there are strong majorities that include both camps for background safety checks and restrictions for the mentally ill.

(Click on the graph for the link.)

“Gun Homicides Steady After Decline In 90s” – Pew Research