- In America, there are approximately 270 million firearms possessed by civilians, and only 897,000 carried by police.
- Approximately 20% of gun owners own 65% of the guns.
- The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms reports that about 5.5 million new firearms were manufactured in America in 2010. 95% of these were for the U.S. market.
- Close to 33,000 Americans were victims of gun-related deaths in 2011 and an average of 268 citizens are shot every day.
- In 2011, 10.3 in every 100,000 people in the U.S. were victims of gun-related deaths.
- Buyers that purchase firearms through private sales in the U.S. don’t have to pass a background check before obtaining possession of the weapon. This includes sales to criminals, felons, and people with a history of severe mental illness.
- In the months of January to November of 2012, the federal government performed 16.8 million background checks on legal gun purchases, which was a record high since its foundation in 1998.
- Since January of 2013, support for gun rights has increased from 45% to 52% and the percentage prioritizing gun control has fallen five points (from 51% to 46%).
- Trigger locks make a firearm more difficult to discharge and act as a safety precaution in carrying and owning guns. However, only 9 states (NY, NJ, CA, OH, MI, RI, MD, PA, MA) have trigger lock laws that enforce this precautionary measure.
- Since 1950, every public mass shooting (with the exception just 1) in the U.S. has occurred in a place where civilians are banned from carrying firearms.
- 51 gun shows banned attendees from bringing loaded guns to events in January 2013, to promote a safe, recreational environment.
- In January 2013, President Obama presented his comprehensive plan to prevent gun violence in the U.S. It included: improving background checks, banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines of ammunition, among other provisions.
Source