While that may be true about the mass shooting, last I heard the long guns only accounted for about 3% of total US murders. It is just that most of the other murders are ignored by the media, while the mass shootings are hugely played up.
Crazy day in the news
- Thread starter Loyal Coug1
- Start date
Homicides by murder weapon in the U.S. 2023 | Statista
Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 7,159 homicides in 2023.
www.statista.com
Seems a bit low. Source?
I was pretty sure your post was tongue in cheek, but unfortunately there are people who think that “shoot them in the leg” reality.
My first gun was a 12 gauge for exactly that reason. A chest full of buckshot from 20 feet is going to permanently remove uninvited visitors, without too much risk of drilling the neighbor too.
Looks like it’s accurate, but it’s all in the way you present the data.Homicides by murder weapon in the U.S. 2023 | Statista
Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 7,159 homicides in 2023.
Seems a bit low. Source?
Not sure where Statista pulled the 2021 data, the FBI only shows up to 2019. Percentages seem to hold up though.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u....019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8.xls
So, rifles accounted for 364 homicides in 2019. There were 10,258 firearm homicides and 13,927 total homicides.
So, rifles made up 2.6% of total homicides. They also were 3.5% of total firearm homicides.
Handguns were used 6,368 times, making up 62% of firearm homicides and 45.7% of all homicides. We have to realize that handguns are what’s most often used in gang shootings, in domestic situations, police shootings, robberies, etc….and they’re also sometimes involved in mass shootings. They don’t register as high on our radar because it’s usually just 1 or 2 people at a time, and they’re pretty easily dismissed as gang members or druggies, and the media doesn’t spend much time on them.
What I really notice in the linked table is that in every year shown, there are more people killed with blunt objects or with bare hands than with rifles. Beating someone to death - especially with your hands - takes a lot more hate and determination (and time) than shooting with a rifle. Yet those numbers are roughly double the rifle deaths.
Now, the big unknown is the “firearm, type not stated” column. That number is big enough to seriously skew the result, but the reports weren’t descriptive enough. That’s a number that needs to get dialed in a lot better, because as presented it really looks like all the emphasis on rifles is seriously misplaced. It would make as much sense to ban clubs and hammers.
No idea where I had seen or heard the 3% number, it was just something that stuck with me, although I wasn't positive of the number, I just knew it was quite low.
I kind of relate publicity of gun deaths to vehicle deaths. If 10-15 people die over a holiday weekend spread across the west coast, it doesn't get much attention except for the local newspapers and broadcast media. But let a minivan with 5 kids roll over and all they and the driver all die and it makes the headlines.
Not a bad analogy. News media thrives on chaos & tragedy. The everyday is bad for business.
Until the Constitution is changed, this is all a bunch of chatter.
Some crazy percentage of American households own guns. A decent chunk also own so-called assault weapons. Why? That's for them to decide Their right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
A better use of time and money would be to provide mental health assistance, drug rehabilitation and housing incentives as an alternative to a life of crime. And maybe dismantle about 1/2 of the three letter agencies that causes such angst amongst the 2A crowd.
One side yelling louder at the other does nothing to address the root causes.
Some crazy percentage of American households own guns. A decent chunk also own so-called assault weapons. Why? That's for them to decide Their right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
A better use of time and money would be to provide mental health assistance, drug rehabilitation and housing incentives as an alternative to a life of crime. And maybe dismantle about 1/2 of the three letter agencies that causes such angst amongst the 2A crowd.
One side yelling louder at the other does nothing to address the root causes.
My guess would be most gang related shootings occurs with hand guns, and to your point a lot of this is largely ignored by the mainstream media.
One could argue ALL of this is ignored by the mainsteam media.
And by ALL, I mean objectivity and a 360 degree analysis of virtually anything reaching the masses.
Like, maybe they don't think the brains of the unwashed could assess divergent information in order to make up their own respective minds.
