Women Against Gun Violence

Gun Statistics

Gun Violence

In 2007, a total of 989 residents of Los Angeles County lost their lives to guns - an amount equivalent to 8 Boeing 737’s crashing with no survivors. (California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009)

In 2006, there were 30,896 deaths due to firearms in the United States. This equates to an average of 85 deaths due to firearms each day. (CDC, WISQARS, 2009)

On average in 2007, more than two people died each day and over 80 people per month due to guns, including homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Deaths due to firearms in Los Angeles County make up 30.6% (989 of 3231) of California’s total deaths due to firearms. (California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009)

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of LA County residents who lost their lives to gun violence were 24 years old or younger. (California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009)

79.3% of homicides in LA County were committed with a firearm (677 out of 854). (California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009)

In 2005, California had largest number of firearm deaths among children and teens (474) in the (U.S. Children’s Defense Fund, 2008)

72.9% of homicides in 2007 (1,684 out of 2,310) were committed with a firearm in California. (California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009)

In 2006, 7,564 persons 24 years old or younger died as a result of injury from a firearm. This amount is equivalent to one Boeing 737 crash every week for a year with no survivors. (CDC, WISQARS, 2009)

Homicides accounted for 41.4% percent of the deaths due to firearms in the US in 2006 (12,791 out of 30,896). (CDC, WISQARS, 2009)

Firearms were used in 68.9% of homicides (12,791 of 18,573) and in 50.7% of suicides (16,883 of 33,300) committed in the U.S. in 2006. (CDC, WISQARS, 2009)

Approximately 68% of all murders, 42% of all robberies, and 22% of all aggravated assaults reported to the police in 2006 were committed with a firearm. (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008)

In 2006, firearm injuries were the leading cause of hospitalization for males 15-19 years old and the 2nd leading cause for males 20-24 years old in LA County. More than half (54%) of all patients hospitalized for a firearm injury were between the ages of 15 and 24 years. (Sternfeld I. and Culross P.L., LA County Public Health Dept. IVPP, 2008)

Between 2003 and 2007, more than 680 Americans per year were killed unintentionally with firearms. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 2011)

Guns and Youth

Approximately 5% of students in Los Angeles reported carrying a gun on at least 1 day in the last 30 days. Over 8% of male students reported that they carried a gun on at least 1 day in the last 30 days. (CDC, 2007)

In 2007, 5.2 % of high school students in the U.S. said they carried a gun in the past 30 days. (CDC, 2009)

More males experience gang violence than females. However, female involvement in gangs continues to increase. In high-risk, high-crime neighborhoods, 29.4% of girls and 32.4% of boys claimed gang membership. (US Department of Justice, 2009)

Almost 75% of youth gang homicides in the state of California have occurred in Los Angeles County. (Advancement Project, 2005)

In the City of Los Angeles alone, there are approximately 700 gangs and over 40,000 members. (Advancement Project, 2005)

In the City of Los Angeles, approximately 850,000 children live in violent crime areas. Of these children, over 290,000 live in high gang crime areas. (Advancement Project, 2005)

In 2005, 10% of male students in grades 9–12 reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the past year, compared to 6% of female students. (US Department of Education & US Department of Justice, 2008)

In 2007, more than 10% of students in Los Angeles reported that they were threatened or injured with a weapon (knife, gun or club) on school property at least once in the past year. More than 15% of male students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon (knife, gun or club) on school property at least once in the past year. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007)

More than 11% of students in Los Angeles (2007) said that they did not go to school at least one day in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to and from school. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007)

Violent gang crime costs the taxpayers and victims more than $2 billion every year in LA County. If gang homicides were reduced by 20% every year for five years, $100 million would be saved. (Advancement Project, 2005)

Guns in the Home:

For most contemporary Americans, scientific studies indicate that the health risk of a gun in the home is greater than the benefit. The evidence is overwhelming for the fact that a gun in the home is a risk factor for completed suicide and that gun accidents are most likely to occur in homes with guns. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 201).

There is no credible evidence of a deterrent effect of firearms or that a gun in the home reduces the likelihood or severity of injury during an altercation or break-in. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 2011)

Americans have more private guns per capita, and particularly more handguns, than citizens of other developed countries. Currently, more than one third of households in the United States contain a working firearm. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 2011)

From 2003 to 2007, in 18 states, two thirds of accidental shooting deaths occurred in someone’s home, about half of the victims were younger than 25 years. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 2011)

Guns and Suicide:

From 2003 to 2007, an average of 46 Americans committed suicide with guns each day. More Americans kill themselves with guns than with all other methods combined. Hemenway, David, PhD. “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home.” (American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. May 5, 2011)

More than half the deaths involving firearms in the US in 2006 were attributable to suicide (54.6%; 16,883 out of 30,896). (CDC, WISQARS, 2009)

41.3% of suicides in LA County were committed with a firearm (274 out of 664). California Department of Public Health, EPIC Branch, 2009In 2005, approximately 58% of suicides among males and 31% among females were committed with a firearm. (CDC, n.d)

In 2007, 69 youths less than 24 years old lost their lives to suicide. Twenty four of the suicides (35%) were committed with a firearm. (California Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, 2007)

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Gun Violence Guns and Youth Guns in the Home Guns and Suicide Guns and Domestic Violence

Guns and Domestic Violence:

American women who are killed by their intimate partners are more likely to be killed with guns than by all other methods combined. (Rothman E. F., Hemenway D, Miller M, and Azael D. Batterers' Use of Guns to Threaten Intimate Partners. Journal of the American Medical Women's Association, 2005. 60 (1): p. 62- 68.)

A recent study shows that access to firearms increases the risk of intimate partner homicide more than five times compared to instances where there are no weapons. In addition, abusers who possess guns tend to inflict the most severe abuse on their partners. (J.C. Campbell, Webster J, Koziol-McLain, CR, et al. 2003. Risk Factors For Femicide in Abusive Relationships: Results From A Multi-Site Case Control Study. (American Journal of Public Health. 93 (7).)

Women are twice as likely to be shot and killed by intimate partners as they are to be murdered by strangers using any type of weapon. (Tjaden P., Thoennes N. Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice: 2000. NCJ 18781.) (Rothman E. F., Hemenway D, Miller M, and Azael D. Batterers' Use of Guns to Threaten Intimate Partners. Journal of the American Medical Women's Association, 2005. 60 (1): p. 62- 68.)

Firearms- especially handguns- were the most common weapon used by males to murder females in 2003. (When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2003 Homicide Data: Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/ Single Offender Incidents. September 2005. Violence Policy Center. Washington, DC. Available at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2005.pdf.)

In homicides where males used firearms to kill females, handguns were clearly the weapon of choice over rifles and shotguns. In 2003, 77 percent of female firearm homicide victims were killed with handguns. (When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2003 Homicide Data: Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/ Single Offender Incidents. September 2005. Violence Policy Center. Washington, DC. Available at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2005.pdf.)

Approximately 700 American women are shot and killed by intimate partners each year. (Homicide trends in the U.S Intimate homicide and Homicides by relationships and weapon type. Washington D.C.: U.S Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2002.)

The cost of domestic violence is nearly $67 billion per year, roughly 15% of total U.S crime costs. (Miller T, Cohen M, Wiersema B. Victim costs and consequences: a new look. Washington, D.C.: U.S Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice; 1996.NCJ 155282)

In 2002, background checks noting domestic violence misdemeanor convictions and restraining orders kept 22,000 abusers from purchasing firearms. (Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2002, BOJS; Disarming Domestic Violence Abusers, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, September 2003.)