US accounts for 79% gun violence related homicide in the world. Explained
3 min read 29 Mar 2023, 03:56 PM ISTCounting the Nashville school mass shooting that killed six people, the United States has seen a total of 131 gun violence related homicide cases in just the 3 months in 2023
PremiumGun violence in United States is a recurrent problem, wherein the Joe Biden led government has seen alarmingly surging cases of homicides in the recent years. While 2021 saw a total of 690 cases, 2022 saw 647 cases, the number of cases rose to 130 within three months in March.
Tuesday's The Covenant School shooting conducted by 28 year-old Audrey hale added to several cases of gun violence that plagues US. However, the issue of at the root of these is a highly political one.
Opposition in Congress on gun control laws from people who are fiercely protective of their right to bear arms, has led to US citizens gaining unlimited access to dangerous weapons.
Mass shootings on the rise in US
Figures from the Gun Violence Archive - a non-profit research database - show that the number of mass shootings has gone up significantly in recent years.
In each of the last three years, there have been more than 600 mass shootings, almost two a day on average.
Deadliest mass shooting in US
The deadliest such attack, in Las Vegas in 2017, killed more than 50 people and left 500 wounded. The vast majority of mass shootings, however, leave fewer than 10 people dead.
What are mass shooting in US?
While the US does not have a single definition for "mass shootings", the Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed. Their figures include shootings that happen in homes and in public places.
Incidents where 4 or more people were killed
2014 -273 cases
2015 - 336 cases
2016 -383 cases
2017 -348 cases
2018 -336 cases
2019 -417 cases
2020 - 610 cases
2021 -690 cases
2022 - 647 cases
2023 - 130 till March
How many people died in gun violence in US?
48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the US during 2021, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
That's nearly an 8% increase from 2020, which was a record-breaking year for firearm deaths.
Data shows more than 50 people are killed each day by a firearm in the US. That year, more than 20,000 of the deaths were homicides, according to the CDC.
US accounts for 79% gun-related homicides
United States has seen a significantly larger proportion of homicides than is the case in Canada, Australia, England and Wales, and many other countries.
UK-4%
Canada 37%
Australia 13%
Who supports gun control?
57% of Americans surveyed said they wanted stricter gun laws - although this fell last year - according to polling by Gallup.
32% said the laws should remain the same, while 10% of people surveyed said they should be "made less strict".
"Democrats are nearly unanimous in their support for stricter gun laws," another Gallup study noted, with nearly 91% in favour of stricter gun laws.
Only 24% Republicans, on the other hand, agreed with the same statement, along with 45% of Independent voters.
Who opposes gun control?
Despite years of financial woes and internal strife, the National Rifle Association (NRA) remains the most powerful gun lobby in the United States, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy.
A number of states have also gone as far as to largely eliminate restrictions on who can carry a gun. In June 2021, for example, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a "permitless carry bill" that allows the state's residents to carry handguns without a licence or training.
Similarly, in April last year Georgia became the 25th in the nation to eliminate the need for a permit to conceal or openly carry a firearm. The law means any citizen of that state has the right to carry a firearm without a licence or a permit.
The law was backed by the NRA, and leaders within the organisation called the move "a monumental moment for the Second Amendment".
