General Gun Violence/Gun Control

[SouthAussie]

This is so mentally tiring. Turning on the TV news in our morning and here is yet another one. I cannot imagine the mental exhaustion it must cause in the US. Let alone the anguish, trauma and loss of life it causes to those directly involved.


"The gun used in the shooting was an AR-15-style rifle, a federal law enforcement source told CNN"
"The AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle, is the most popular sporting rifle in the US, and about 24.6 million people have owned an AR-15 or similarly style rifle"
"The AR-15 and its offshoots have been the weapon of choice in many of the most heinous mass shootings in recent memory"

Gunman livestreamed mass shooting at Louisville bank that left 4 dead and 9 wounded

 

[MyBelle]

This is so mentally tiring. Turning on the TV news in our morning and here is yet another one. I cannot imagine the mental exhaustion it must cause in the US. Let alone the anguish, trauma and loss of life it causes to those directly involved.


"The gun used in the shooting was an AR-15-style rifle, a federal law enforcement source told CNN"
"The AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle, is the most popular sporting rifle in the US, and about 24.6 million people have owned an AR-15 or similarly style rifle"
"The AR-15 and its offshoots have been the weapon of choice in many of the most heinous mass shootings in recent memory"

Gunman livestreamed mass shooting at Louisville bank that left 4 dead and 9 wounded

BBM. I suggest they stop referring to it as a "sporting rifle" in consideration of the huge number human victims.

Hearing this news on a constant basis is very stressful, especially so for those who have children or grandchildren currently in school.

 

[SouthAussie]

BBM. I suggest they stop referring to it as a "sporting rifle" in consideration of the huge number human victims.

Hearing this news on a constant basis is very stressful, especially so for those who have children or grandchildren currently in school.

Yes, I agree. It doesn't seem too sporting to me to be gunning down people (and animals) with a semi automatic rifle.

 

[MyBelle]

Yes, I agree. It doesn't seem too sporting to me to be gunning down people (and animals) with a semi automatic rifle.

I do not understand why gun control has become so political. One positive step LE and Prosecutors are taking is to hold parents accountable. The 6 yr old shooter's mother has been charged with felony child abuse:

Mother of 6-year-old student who shot teacher charged with child neglect | CNN

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said Monday.

www.cnn.com

 

[ilovewings]

I do not understand why gun control has become so political. One positive step LE and Prosecutors are taking is to hold parents accountable. The 6 yr old shooter's mother has been charged with felony child abuse:

Mother of 6-year-old student who shot teacher charged with child neglect | CNN

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said Monday.

www.cnn.com

The reason gun control has become political is because there is big money involved due to many of the politicians getting money from the NRA if they toe the line on gun control. Sad but very true. Until that stops, things will not change.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

People like to focus on the AR-15 but the reality is more people are killed with handguns. AR stands for ArmaLite and not assault rifle or automatic rifle. An AR-15 is semi-automatic, meaning you have to pull the trigger each time you fire a bullet.

Handguns more lethal than rifles in mass shootings

In public mass shootings in the U.S., victims shot with a handgun were more likely to die than in the events associated with a rifle, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

www.reuters.com

(Reuters Health) - In public mass shootings in the U.S., victims shot with a handgun were more likely to die than in the events associated with a rifle, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
(…)
The research team found that events with a handgun were associated with a higher percentage of people killed, whereas events involving a rifle were associated with more people shot. About 26 percent of those shot with a handgun had more than one fatal wound, versus two percent of people shot with a rifle. Handguns were also more likely to be associated with brain and heart injuries.

“All of us were shocked. We came to the table with our bias that an assault weapon would be worse,” Sarani said. “This should inform the medical community about what to expect at trauma centers and lawmakers about reasonable gun laws.”

Homicides by murder weapon in the U.S. 2022 | Statista

Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 7,936 homicides in 2022.

www.statista.com

 

[10ofRods]

Families can be helpful. But, dysfunctional families exist, and could manipulate someone to believe their parent/brother/whoever, is dangerous and shouldn't have a gun. What would the criteria be? That is the issue. Depression? It is unlikely to be consistently applied.

And could the person get their guns back? How would they be able to prove that? The slippery slope is, if "we" decide you are incompetent to own a gun, does that mean you are an incompetent parent? Should you have your kids taken away too? Are you incompetent to drive a car? Go to work? Live alone? Have a dog?

It won't be up to families, if it's done properly. Red herring.

I think the issue has to start with gun sales and transfers, not with removing guns from already gun-owning people (unless they do meet certain legal criteria which, IMO, should not bar all gun ownership forever (but should require gun buyers not to be homicidal/suicidal, a subject that psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists are more likely to hear about than others).

IMO.

 

[MyBelle]

People like to focus on the AR-15 but the reality is more people are killed with handguns. AR stands for ArmaLite and not assault rifle or automatic rifle. An AR-15 is semi-automatic, meaning you have to pull the trigger each time you fire a bullet.

Handguns more lethal than rifles in mass shootings

In public mass shootings in the U.S., victims shot with a handgun were more likely to die than in the events associated with a rifle, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

www.reuters.com

(Reuters Health) - In public mass shootings in the U.S., victims shot with a handgun were more likely to die than in the events associated with a rifle, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
(…)
The research team found that events with a handgun were associated with a higher percentage of people killed, whereas events involving a rifle were associated with more people shot. About 26 percent of those shot with a handgun had more than one fatal wound, versus two percent of people shot with a rifle. Handguns were also more likely to be associated with brain and heart injuries.

“All of us were shocked. We came to the table with our bias that an assault weapon would be worse,” Sarani said. “This should inform the medical community about what to expect at trauma centers and lawmakers about reasonable gun laws.”

Homicides by murder weapon in the U.S. 2022 | Statista

Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 7,936 homicides in 2022.

www.statista.com

There are semi-automatic handguns.

 

[Leve]

I know it's comparing apples to oranges but here it goes

In 2021 there were over 48,000 gun deaths in the US.

US gun deaths

There were a total of 45,222 firearm deaths in the US in 2020, an increase of 14% or 5,155 firearm deaths from 2019.

usafacts.org

In the same time period there were 106,000 overdose deaths in the US. Drug abuse, sales, procession ect. is illegal. Yet.....

NIDA.NIH.GOV | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA's mission is to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. NIDA is one of the National Institutes of Health.

nida.nih.gov

I just don't know how much banning guns would help. It's a societal issue to me. So much hate and division. I have no idea what can make it better.

 

[MarziPanda]

I know it's comparing apples to oranges but here it goes

In 2021 there were over 48,000 gun deaths in the US.

US gun deaths

There were a total of 45,222 firearm deaths in the US in 2020, an increase of 14% or 5,155 firearm deaths from 2019.

usafacts.org

In the same time period there were 106,000 overdose deaths in the US. Drug abuse, sales, procession ect. is illegal. Yet.....

NIDA.NIH.GOV | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA's mission is to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. NIDA is one of the National Institutes of Health.

nida.nih.gov

I just don't know how much banning guns would help. It's a societal issue to me. So much hate and division. I have no idea what can make it better.

As someone from one of those countries that had a mass shooting and then banned guns and hasn't had another once since, banning guns helps. It really does. Every country has societal issues. Not every country has mass shootings on a near daily basis.

 

[Leve]

As someone from one of those countries that had a mass shooting and then banned guns and hasn't had another once since, banning guns helps. It really does. Every country has societal issues. Not every country has mass shootings on a near daily basis.

I hear ya.

But did your country already have around 393 million guns in circulation. Also, does your country have a pretty porous border so drugs, guns other contraband flow in pretty easily?

 

[MyBelle]

As someone from one of those countries that had a mass shooting and then banned guns and hasn't had another once since, banning guns helps. It really does. Every country has societal issues. Not every country has mass shootings on a near daily basis.

I think states that are implementing Red Flag laws are seeing less violence as a result. The problem here is that our federal politicians refuse to enact such laws on a federal level so the same restrictions apply across state lines. Right now, the city of Chicago bans guns but head down 20 or so miles to the Indiana border--which has very lax gun laws--is all someone needs to do.

JMO

 

[Leve]

I think states that are implementing Red Flag laws are seeing less violence as a result. The problem here is that our federal politicians refuse to enact such laws on a federal level so the same restrictions apply across state lines. Right now, the city of Chicago bans guns but head down 20 or so miles to the Indiana border--which has very lax gun laws--is all someone needs to do.

JMO

The city of Chicago has banned guns yet has the highest incidences of gun violence in the US. I seriously, seriously doubt easy access by driving 20 miles away is the cause of this violence.

Interestingly enough the state of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have the highest percentage of households owning guns. The top ten states are:

1. Montana - 66.3%
2. Wyoming - 66.2%
3. Alaska - 64.5%
4. Idaho - 60.1%
5. West Virginia - 58.5%
6. Arkansas - 57.2%
7. Mississippi - 55.8%
8. Alabama - 55.5%
9. South Dakota - 55.3%
10. North Dakota - 55.1%

But Chicago because guns aren't banned in Indiana has the most gun violence.

No, something is wrong in Chicago other than easy access to firearms.

 

[branmuffin]

I hear ya.

But did your country already have around 393 million guns in circulation. Also, does your country have a pretty porous border so drugs, guns other contraband flow in pretty easily?

America's porous border usually means the guns flow the other direction; from the US to Mexico and from the US to Canada. One of the worst mass killings in Canadian history happened in Nova Scotia a couple of years ago with weapons smuggled into to Canada from Maine. Selling weapons is big business.

Most illegal guns purchases in the US are internal. They can be through three methods, the straw method where an individual who can legally buy a weapon purchases one for someone who is not legally able to buy one. The second method is private gun sales and the third, weapons stolen from private individuals and gun dealers.

Weapons coming into the US due to porous borders is a myth.

Where are Ontario’s crime guns coming from? New data shows top U.S. source states | Globalnews.ca

A Global News investigation into cross-border trafficking offers new insight on where Ontario's crime guns are coming and how they are being purchased.

globalnews.ca

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Trafficking

U.S. firearms are trafficked with alarming frequency, increasing violence in the United States and across international borders.

www.americanprogress.org

 

[branmuffin]

The city of Chicago has banned guns yet has the highest incidences of gun violence in the US. I seriously, seriously doubt easy access by driving 20 miles away is the cause of this violence.

Interestingly enough the state of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have the highest percentage of households owning guns. The top ten states are:

1. Montana - 66.3%
2. Wyoming - 66.2%
3. Alaska - 64.5%
4. Idaho - 60.1%
5. West Virginia - 58.5%
6. Arkansas - 57.2%
7. Mississippi - 55.8%
8. Alabama - 55.5%
9. South Dakota - 55.3%
10. North Dakota - 55.1%

But Chicago because guns aren't banned in Indiana has the most gun violence.

No, something is wrong in Chicago other than easy access to firearms.

It's also interesting that Wyoming and Alaska have spots #2 and #3 in death rates by gun in this study.

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2021 than in any other year on record, according to the latest available statistics from the CDC.

www.pewresearch.org

 

[Jade]

I do not understand why gun control has become so political. One positive step LE and Prosecutors are taking is to hold parents accountable. The 6 yr old shooter's mother has been charged with felony child abuse:

Mother of 6-year-old student who shot teacher charged with child neglect | CNN

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia, in January has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect, and one count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, a news release from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said Monday.

www.cnn.com

BBM


The NRA is widely recognized as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights. NRA-ILA, the lobbying arm of the NRA, is involved in any issue that directly or indirectly affects firearms ownership and use.

NRA Explore


Which Senators Have Benefited The Most From NRA Money?

https://elections.bradyunited.org/take-action/nra-donations-116th-congress-senators



Imo

 

[MyBelle]

The city of Chicago has banned guns yet has the highest incidences of gun violence in the US. I seriously, seriously doubt easy access by driving 20 miles away is the cause of this violence.

Interestingly enough the state of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have the highest percentage of households owning guns. The top ten states are:

1. Montana - 66.3%
2. Wyoming - 66.2%
3. Alaska - 64.5%
4. Idaho - 60.1%
5. West Virginia - 58.5%
6. Arkansas - 57.2%
7. Mississippi - 55.8%
8. Alabama - 55.5%
9. South Dakota - 55.3%
10. North Dakota - 55.1%

But Chicago because guns aren't banned in Indiana has the most gun violence.

No, something is wrong in Chicago other than easy access to firearms.

Poverty and gang wars are what is causing Chicago's violence and the easy access to guns in Indiana exacerbates the violent crimes. I think police, not politicians, should be the driving force behind gun laws. The Uvalde shooter had no problem buying his assault rifles when he turned 18, thanks to Texas' incredibly lax gun laws.

In 2013, a federal indictment charged two men with illegally selling 43 firearms to a government informant in just under 26 hours, a volume made possible by gun shows and less restrictive state laws in Indiana. Private gun sales in Indiana don’t require background checks, a waiting period or even a record of the transaction.

Earlier this year, Indiana passed a law loosening Indiana’s requirements for carrying a handgun in public despite the opposition of several major law enforcement organizations.

Are Chicago’s gun laws the strictest in the United States? Not anymore.

While Chicago is frequently used as an example of why such regulations don’t work, the truth is far murkier.

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[Leve]

It's also interesting that Wyoming and Alaska have spots #2 and #3 in death rates by gun in this study.

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2021 than in any other year on record, according to the latest available statistics from the CDC.

www.pewresearch.org

That is an interesting link.

So, of the 45,222 gun deaths in 2020, 24,292 were suicides. I compare that to the 106,000 people that killed themselves (whether accidently or not) by the illegal use of drugs.

I actually am for some forms of gun control. Like licenses you can get after completing classes/testing in firearm safety ect.

If you have been convicted of a violent offense you can not get a gun license .

If a family member is concerned about your mental health they can apply to have your license revoked in a court trial. This isn't the best, but I don't know any other way if protecting a person's medical records.

You cannot purchase or have a gun in your possession without a license. Strict fines/prison sentences to enforce.

 

[Footwarrior]

The city of Chicago has banned guns yet has the highest incidences of gun violence in the US. I seriously, seriously doubt easy access by driving 20 miles away is the cause of this violence.

Interestingly enough the state of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have the highest percentage of households owning guns. The top ten states are:

1. Montana - 66.3%
2. Wyoming - 66.2%
3. Alaska - 64.5%
4. Idaho - 60.1%
5. West Virginia - 58.5%
6. Arkansas - 57.2%
7. Mississippi - 55.8%
8. Alabama - 55.5%
9. South Dakota - 55.3%
10. North Dakota - 55.1%

But Chicago because guns aren't banned in Indiana has the most gun violence.

No, something is wrong in Chicago other than easy access to firearms.

The gun violence rate in Chicago is higher than average but nowhere near the worst city in this regard. It has the highest number of gun violence deaths in large part due to its massive population. Only New York and Los Angeles are larger.

New York and Los Angeles had higher totals than Chicago three decades ago. But since then both of those cities have done a better job of controlling gun violence.

One factor is that both New York and Los Angeles have worked hard to improve relations between the police and residents of high crime areas. The result is that people are more likely to cooperate with the police. Chicago should follow their example.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

It's also interesting that Wyoming and Alaska have spots #2 and #3 in death rates by gun in this study.

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2021 than in any other year on record, according to the latest available statistics from the CDC.

www.pewresearch.org

Wyoming and Alaska hold the #1 and #2 spots in suicide rates in the same year (2020).

Suicide rates by state U.S. 2021 | Statista

Wyoming and Montana are the states with the highest suicide rates. New Jersey and New York have some of the lowest rates of suicide in the United States.

www.statista.com