Gun Violence in America                           
    
    
    
    

How does the U.S. compare to other high income countries?

Short answer: not too well

*Firearm death rate per 100,000 population

    
   

Countless Americans die from gun violence every year.

So far in 2019, suicide is the biggest culprit. What about mass shootings?

Cause of Death:

Count:

    


Even though mass shootings make up only a small portion of total gun deaths,


They have been increasing in size and frequency over the past few decades.

        
        
    
    
    
    
         
The above map and timeline was created using data from the Stanford Mass Shootings in America dataset. It contains a comprehensive information on mass shooting from 8/2/1966 to 11/6/2016. MSA defines mass shootings as "3 or more shooting victims (not necessarily fatalities), not including the shooter; the shooting must not be identifiably gang, drug, or organized crime related." Unfortunately, due to the signficant resource requirement for maintaining this dataset, the Stanford Mass Shootings in America database has been permanently suspended. To further explore the data and methodology, click here.
     





Hands Up, Don't Shoot Movement

    


Gun regulation can play an important role in limiting gun violence:
States with more gun laws have fewer firearm deaths.

  
    
More laws
⇑

Fewer deaths
⇓



The top 5 states with the most regulations: California (107), Massachussetts (103), Connecticut (92), Hawaii (81), New Jersey (78), and New York (75) are also amongst the seven states that have the lowest death rates.

              

  • Hover over a dot for more information.
  • Click on a dot to link to Giffords Law Center website with detailed state gun regulations.
  • Select a region to filter the table.

  • The table is based off of hand gun regulations. For information about long gun regulations, click here.
  • Permit: These states require people to have permits to own guns.
  • Purchase Permit: These states require people to have permits to purchase guns.
  • Registration: These states require guns to be registered with the state.
  • Open Carry Allowed: These states allow individuals to carry guns in public visibly to other people.
  • Background Check: Background checks required by federal laws on all people purchasing guns from a licensed dealer but not from a private gun sale. These states require background checks on private gun sales.

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    Las Vegas Massacre: October 1, 2017
    58 killed, 413 wounded

        

    Profiling the shooter may not be as effective today as it was back then.

             

    How many victims were attacked by a shooter with a history of mental illness?

        


    We do not know what causes a person to commit a mass shooting, but the underlying trend is clear:


    ⇒ Mass shootings are increasing and shooter profiles are becoming less reliable of an indicator.
    Moreover, as gun regulations increase, death rates appear to decrease.


    The goal is to educate, inform, and enlighten others on this subject, in hopes of encouraging the public to partake in policies that help keep its citizens safe.