Huffington Post
American gun owners are far more likely to injure themselves or
someone else with their firearm than to stop a criminal, according to a new study from a group calling for tighter gun control.
The
study, released Wednesday by the Violence Policy Center, found there
were 258 justifiable homicides involving civilians using firearms in
2012, compared with 8,342 murders by gun. Even if a criminal isn't shot
down, the study found that civilians rarely use guns to protect
themselves.
"Intended victims of property crimes engaged in
self-protective behavior with a firearm" only 0.1 percent of the times
they were targeted by a crook.
The report, titled "Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use"
relied on FBI and Bureau of Justice data. The Violence Policy Center
said the report disproves the premise of arguments by the National Rifle
Association that more guns in the hands of regular people will reduce
crime.
