Some Information and Data on Firearms

Just information . . . mostly . . .

Trends and Patterns in Firearm Violence, 1993–2023, U.S. Department of Justice

In 2023, the rate of nonfatal firearm violence was 2.0 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, down 72% from 7.3 per 1,000 in 1993 (figure 1). Nonfatal firearm violence includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault victimizations in which the offender had, showed, or used a firearm. Nonfatal firearm violence victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older across this period ranged from 7.4 victimizations in 1994 to 1.1 in 2015. This rate varied from 1.2 to 2.3 per 1,000 during the most recent 5 years from 2019 to 2023.

This report uses information from several data sources to examine trends and patterns in firearm violence from 1993 to 2023. The combination of data sources provides a broad perspective on fatal and nonfatal firearm violence in the United States that could not be achieved through any single source of information. The report also features statistics on firearm-related injuries and other aspects of firearm violence.

Findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey

Victimizations reflect the total number of times that persons were victims of crime. During the aggregate 5-year period of 2018–2022, the annual average percentage of nonfatal violence that involved an offender with a firearm was 8% (table 1). In the same period, firearms were involved in an annual average of 22% of nonfatal violence excluding simple assault, 20% of robberies, and 32% of aggravated assaults.¹

Handguns were involved in the majority of nonfatal firearm violence during 2018–2022 (table 2). The average annual number of nonfatal firearm victimizations involving a handgun was 410,000, which was 90% of nonfatal firearm victimizations. Other types of firearms, such as shotguns and rifles, accounted for the remainder of nonfatal firearm violence during this period.

1 Estimates on rape/sexual assault victimizations involving firearms
are not shown separately due to small sample sizes.

Males were victims of nonfatal firearm violence at higher rates than females during 2018–2022. The rate of nonfatal firearm violence was 1.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older during 2018–2022 (table 3). Males were victims of nonfatal firearm violence at a higher rate (2.0 per 1,000) than females (1.2 per 1,000). White persons (1.4 per 1,000) had a lower rate than black persons (2.7 per 1,000), Hispanic persons (1.9 per 1,000), and persons of other races (2.6 per 1,000). The rate of nonfatal firearm violence was higher for persons ages 18 to 24 (3.0 per 1,000) and 25 to 34 (2.7 per 1,000) than for persons in all other age groups.

42% of nonfatal firearm violence occurred in or near the victim’s home during 2018–2022

During 2018–2022, there were 2.3 million nonfatal firearm victimizations (table 4). Forty-two percent of nonfatal firearm violence occurred in or near the victim’s home. A greater percentage of nonfatal violence involving a firearm (22%) than nonfirearm violence (13%) occurred near the victim’s home. However, a lower percentage of firearm violence (20%) than nonfirearm violence (28%) occurred in the victim’s home. Additionally, a greater percentage of nonfatal violence involving a firearm (27%) than nonfirearm violence (18%) occurred in an open area, on the street, or on public transportation.

During 2018–2022, strangers committed a greater percentage of nonfatal firearm violence than people the victim knew

During 2018–2022, the victim-offender relationship and number of offenders were known in 1.9 million victimizations involving nonfatal firearm violence (table 5). Strangers committed a greater percentage of nonfatal firearm violence (61%) than known offenders (39%).2 Friends or acquaintances committed a greater percentage of nonfatal firearm violence (20%) than intimate partners (12%) and other relatives (7%). In comparison, strangers committed 42% of the 7.4 million nonfirearm violent victimizations during 2018–2022, while known persons committed 58%. Similar to nonfatal firearm violence, friends or acquaintances committed a greater percentage of nonfirearm violence (31%) than intimate partners (19%) and other relatives (9%).

During 2018–2022, about 19% of nonfatal firearm
victimizations resulted in physical injury

A total of 19% of all nonfatal firearm victimizations resulted in physical injury during 2018–2022 (table 6).³ Nine percent of nonfatal firearm victimizations resulted in serious injury (e.g., gunshot wounds, broken bones, or internal injuries), while 10% resulted in minor injury (e.g., bruises or cuts). Victims received medical treatment in 59% of these victimizations. Among the victimizations in which victims received treatment, 68% did so in a hospital or doctor’s office. In comparison, 39% of all nonfirearm violent victimizations resulted in physical injury, including 23% that resulted in serious injury and 16% that resulted in minor injury. Victims received medical treatment in 46% of these victimizations, which was a smaller percentage than those injured due to nonfatal firearm violence (59%). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Known offenders include persons known to the victim, such as current or former intimate partners, other relatives, and friends or acquaintances.
3 Victims hospitalized for an extended period due to injury may not have been present for their scheduled NCVS household interview and thus may not have been captured by the survey. This could affect the percentages of victims reporting injury and treatment in the NCVS.

About 64% of nonfatal firearm violence during 2018–2022 was reported to police

During 2018–2022, nonfatal firearm violence (64%) was more likely to be reported to police than nonfirearm violence (45%) (table 7). For firearm victimizations that were not reported to police, the most common reason victims gave was a belief that police could not or would not do anything to help (31%). The most common reason victims of nonfirearm violence gave for not reporting to police was that they had dealt with the victimization another way, such as reporting to another official, like a guard, apartment manager, or school official (29%). Among victims who did not report to police, victims of firearm violence (31%) were more likely than victims of nonfirearm violence (22%) to not report to police because they believed the police could not or would not do anything to help. Similarly, victims of firearm violence (16%) were more likely than victims of nonfirearm violence (8%) to not report to police due to fear of reprisal by the offender.

The percentage of nonfatal firearm violence reported to police was similar for males and females

During 2018–2022, a similar percentage of firearm violence against males (64%) and females (63%) was
reported to police (table 8). There were no statistically significant differences in the percentages of firearm
violence reported to police by race or Hispanic origin. Firearm violence against persons ages 18 to 24 (46%) was less likely to be reported to police than firearm violence against persons age 25 or older. The rate of firearm violence against males reported to police (1.3 per 1,000) was higher than that for females (0.8 per 1,000). White persons had a lower rate of firearm violence reported to police (0.9 per 1,000) than black persons (1.6 per 1,000). Persons ages 18 to 24 had a higher rate of firearm violence reported to police (1.4 per 1,000) than persons ages 12 to 17 (0.4 per 1,000) and persons age 50 or older (0.8 per 1,000).

A firearm was used for self-defense in 2% of nonfatal violence excluding simple assault

The NCVS collects data on victims’ reactions and any actions they may have taken during the incident. During
2018–2022, the victim either took no action against the offender or kept still in 36% of all nonfatal violence
excluding simple assault (table 9). Victims used other self-protective behaviors such as noncombative tactics
(34%) (e.g., yelling, running away, or trying to attract attention) and threatening or attacking the offender
without a weapon (23%). Victims used a firearm to threaten or attack the offender in 2% (184,300) of all
nonfatal violence excluding simple assault; the offender had a firearm in 45% of these victimizations (82,300,
not shown).

In 1% (96,500) of property victimizations during which the victim was present, the victim threatened or attacked
the offender with a firearm. Property victimization includes burglary or trespassing, motor vehicle theft, and
other types of household theft. However, the victim was not present during the majority (84%) of property crimes captured by the NCVS

During 2018–2022, the percentage of nonfatal firearm incidents involving male victims was greater than their share of the U.S. population

An incident is a specific criminal act involving one or more victims. Table 10 presents incident-level data to
facilitate comparisons between victim and offender characteristics. Offender characteristics (sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, and age) in the NCVS are based on victims’ perceptions of offenders.

There were 2.1 million incidents of nonfatal violence excluding simple assault (rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault) during 2018–2022 in which the offender had, showed, or used a firearm (table 10).
During 2018–2022, the percentage of nonfatal firearm violent incidents involving male victims (61%) was
greater than males’ share of the population (49%). The opposite was true for females: The percentage of nonfatal firearm violent incidents involving female victims (39%) was smaller than the percentage of the population that was female (51%).

During 2018–2022, males represented a higher percentage of perceived offenders in nonfatal firearm incidents than their share of the U.S. population

The percentage of nonfatal firearm incidents involving offenders perceived by the victim to be male (78%) was
greater than the share of males represented in the U.S. population (49%) during 2018–2022. In comparison, the
percentage involving offenders perceived to be female (6%) was smaller than the percentage of females in the
population (51%).

During 2018–2022, the percentage of nonfatal firearm incidents which involved black persons as both victims and perceived offenders was higher than their share of the population.

During 2018–2022, the percentage of nonfatal firearm incidents involving white victims (54%) was smaller than
the percentage of white persons in the U.S. population (62%). In comparison, the percentage of nonfatal firearm
incidents involving black victims (20%) was larger than the percentage of black persons in the population (12%).
The same pattern was found for Hispanic victims.

For offenders, the percentage of nonfatal firearm incidents during 2018–2022 with persons perceived by the victim to be white (34%) was almost half their share of the population (62%). Comparatively, the percentage
with persons perceived by the victim to be black (32%) was greater than the percentage of black persons in the
population (12%). The percentage of persons perceived by the victim to be Hispanic (15%) was lower than the
percentage of Hispanic persons in the population (18%). The percentage of firearm incidents involving offenders who were perceived to be Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races (1%) was less than their combined share of the population (2%).

Relative to their portion of the population, persons ages 18 to 29 made up greater percentages of both victims and perceived offenders in nonfatal firearm incidents during 2018–2022

During 2018–2022, persons age 30 or older made up a smaller share of both victims (63%) and perceived offenders (41%) in nonfatal firearm incidents than their portion of the U.S. population (72%). The percentage
of nonfatal firearm incidents involving victims (5%) ages 12 to 17 and offenders (3%) perceived to be in the
same age group was also smaller than their portion of the population (9%). The percentage of nonfatal firearm
incidents involving victims (32%) and offenders (28%) perceived to be ages 18 to 29 was greater than their
share of the population (19%). In 9% of nonfatal firearm incidents, victims reported multiple offenders perceived
to be of various ages.

Nest up are the Findings from the National Vital Statistical System.

Not going to go there yet. And maybe never. What I want to do is present how dangerous the present environment is today and in the past. Get you all to start thinking about your rights and what you could do better.

My background? Vietnam Era Marine Sergeant. I have been shooting since I was 13. Marine Corps liked me. This is an opinion piece with data.