24/7 Wall St.
More than two-thirds of all homicides in the United States are
gun-related. Of the 16,121 homicides reported in 2013, 11,208 were
caused by gun violence. Including suicides, nearly 34,000 people died in
gun-related incidents in 2013, up 13.8% from 10 years earlier.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps track of
the number of gun-related deaths in each state. Fatalities include
homicides, suicides, and accidents. The frequency of firearm-related
deaths varies considerably across the country. In Hawaii, the state with
the fewest gun-related fatalities, there were just 2.6
firearm-associated deaths per 100,000 people. In Alaska, on the other
hand, there were nearly 20 gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents, the
most of any state. 24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states with the
highest gun-related deaths.
Click here to see the 10 states with the most gun violence.
Suicide is the leading cause of gun-related deaths across the country
in recent years. Of the 33,636 firearm deaths in 2013, more than 21,000
were suicides. In fact, suicide accounted for more than half of
gun-related deaths in all but one state with the most gun violence. In
three states — Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming — suicide accounted for more
than 80% of all firearm deaths.
24/7 Wall St. discussed the CDC’s figures with John Roman, senior
fellow at the Urban Institute, an economic and social policy think tank.
Roman explained that states with the highest rates of suicide often
have the strongest culture of gun ownership in the country. “There are
many more suicides in places where it’s easy to get a gun,” he said.
While federal gun laws are uniform across the country, state
regulations vary, offering more lax or more strict approaches to firearm
use. Seven of the 10 states with the most firearm deaths in 2013 have
enacted stand your ground laws. In keeping with a state’s culture, Roman
explained, many states with these laws likely also have laws that make
it easier to possess firearms and buy ammunition.
In fact, none of the states with the most gun violence require
permits to purchase rifles, shotguns, or handguns. Gun owners are also
not required to register their weapons in any of these states.
Meanwhile, many of the states with the least gun violence require a
permit or other form of identification to buy a gun.
Gun-related homicides were also relatively frequent in the states
with the most gun violence. Nationally, there were 3.61 homicides per
100,000 people. Seven of the the 10 states with the most gun violence
reported homicide rates higher than the national rate. Louisiana is one
of only four states in the country where homicides accounted for a
larger share of firearm deaths than suicides. In 2013, Louisiana
reported nearly 10 homicides per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in
the country.
