In 2021, 85.7 percent of homicides were committed by firearm in the United States, compared to 76.7 percent in the previous year. This figure has been increasing since 2014, when 63.6 percent of homicides were committed by firearm.
Firearms in the United States
Firearms in the United States have become a large part of American culture. The Second Amendment of the Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. This amendment has been cited as a reason why gun control laws should not become stricter. However, many Americans are in favor of stricter gun control laws due to the increase of shootings in the country. Handguns were the most frequently used weapon used on murder victims in 2020, and overall, the United States was the country with the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms.
*Due to the FBI's transition to a new crime reporting system in 2021, only 11,794 of 18,806 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. reported crime data to the FBI. As a result, figures may not accurately reflect the percentage of homicides by firearm in 2021.
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FBI. (October 5, 2022). Percentage of homicides by firearm in the United States from 2006 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/
FBI. "Percentage of homicides by firearm in the United States from 2006 to 2021." Chart. October 5, 2022. Statista. Accessed July 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/
FBI. (2022). Percentage of homicides by firearm in the United States from 2006 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/
FBI. "Percentage of Homicides by Firearm in The United States from 2006 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Oct 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/
FBI, Percentage of homicides by firearm in the United States from 2006 to 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/ (last visited July 03, 2024)
Percentage of homicides by firearm in the United States from 2006 to 2021 [Graph], FBI, October 5, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/249783/percentage-of-homicides-by-firearm-in-the-united-states/