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Gun Violence Facts

Get the facts: Gun violence facts in America

Knowing gun violence facts is critically important as we educate ourselves and others about its impact, advocate for common ground gun reform and safe storage plus participate in programs with like-minded groups to help make our communities safer for everyone.

Download our Gun Violence Facts Sheet

Compiled in October 2024

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The impact of guns violence in the U.S.

In 2022 in America, some 48,000 lives were lost to gun violence; 2/3 were suicides and accidental deaths while another 1/3 were homicides.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Between 2020 and 2022, Americans bought 60 million firearms, twice the yearly pace of only 15 to 20 years ago.

Source:
The Trace, a nonprofit news organization

Gun manufacturers netted an estimated $9 billion on gun sales revenue in 2022.

Source:
Everytown for Gun Safety

Gun violence costs the U.S. economy at least $557 billion every year.

Source:
Everytown for Gun Safety

The impact of guns on American families

In America, guns are now the #1 cause of death in children 18 years old and younger.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

4.6 million children live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked gun.

Source:
Everytown for Gun Safety

Each day 12 children die from gun violence in America.  

Source:
Sandy Hook Promise

At least once a week, a toddler fires a gun, killing or injuring himself or others.

Source:
Journal of the American Medical Association

The impact of guns on public health & safety in the U.S.

Suicide attempts using a gun are fatal 85% of the time.
Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Every 16 hours, a woman is shot dead by her current or former partner.

Source:
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Most school shootings occur with a gun belonging to someone in the family, usually a parent.

Source:
Giffords Law Center

People with serious mental disorders are far more likely to be victims of violent crimes than perpetrators. Only 7.5% of violent crimes were directly related to mental health disorders.

Source: The American Psychological Association

The impact of gun violence on the American psyche

Four in 10 Americans believe it’s at least somewhat likely they’ll be a victim of gun violence in the next five years.

Source:
The Trace, a nonprofit news organization

A recent national poll found 58% of respondents said they or someone they care for had personally experienced gun violence.

Source:
Everytown for Gun Safety

Some 60% of U.S. teens fear a shooting could happen at their school.

Source:
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Shots were fired on an American K-12 campus more than 300 times in 2023.

Source:
K-12 School Shooting database

The impact of gun laws in the U.S.

Nearly two in three respondents (64%) said gun laws in the U.S. should be stronger.

Source:
Navigator Research for GVPedia

The number of ghost guns recovered from crime scenes by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has risen more than 1,000% since 2017.

Source:
The British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) News

The current federal background check system applies only to about 60% of gun sales, leaving 40% of gun sales (online and gun shows) completed without a background check.

Source:
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

In its most current evaluation of the strength of gun laws in the 50 states, Kansas ranked 45th and Missouri 47th. California remained 1st with the strongest gun laws; Arkansas the weakest.

Source:
Giffords Law Center

The impact of guns in the U.S compared to other countries

Americans own 393 million firearms or 40% of the entire world’s civilian firearms.

Source:
Small Arms Survey based in Geneva, Switzerland

Americans kill each other with guns at 26 times the rate of other high-income nations.

Source:
Everytown for Gun Safety

American children are 12 times more likely to be killed by a gun than children in other countries.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

In Japan, being killed by a gun is as likely as being killed by lightning in the U.S., roughly one in a million.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)