Introduction
Gun violence is an issue that plagues communities across the United States. While Americans have a constitutionally protected right to bear arms, gun deaths continue to devastate families and communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020 there were over 45,000 deaths due to firearm injuries in the United States. This equates to approximately 123 firearm deaths per day. Of these deaths, 54% were suicide and 43% were homicide. The remaining 3% were unintentional, involved law enforcement, or had undetermined circumstances. Comparatively, motor vehicle accidents accounted for 38,000 deaths in the same year. Gun violence has become endemic in the U.S. and solutions to curb this public health crisis have become a point of intense political debate. This paper seeks to examine the scope and nature of gun deaths in America, discuss evidence-based strategies for reducing violence, and analyze the barriers to enacting comprehensive reform.
Scope of the Problem
The scale of gun deaths in the U.S. far outpaces that of other developed nations. A 2021 study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the U.S. firearm homicide rates were 26 times higher than other high-income countries. Similarly, firearm suicide rates were 8 times higher ( appendices A & B). Easy access to firearms can turn disputes deadly and make impulsive acts of violence more likely to end in death. According to data from the Giffords Law Center, eight children and teens die from gun violence every day in America. Most of these deaths are homicides, suicides, or unintentional shootings. Mass shootings also exploit America’s lax gun laws and culture of hypermasculine violence. The non-profit organization Gun Violence Archive tracks mass shootings as incidents involving 4 or more victims. They report that in 2021 alone there were over 600 mass shootings resulting in the loss of innocent lives across the country. Yet in the face of this carnage, Congress has failed to enact laws that could help curb the scourge of gun violence in the U.S.
Evidence-Based Solutions
Research shows that certain policy interventions can be effective at reducing firearm deaths without infringing on lawful gun ownership. For example, universal background checks have been shown to decrease gun trafficking and keep firearms out of dangerous hands. Currently, private gun sales between individuals do not require a background check in most states. Closing this loophole would prevent prohibited purchasers like felons and domestic abusers from easily obtaining weapons. Another promising solution is Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) or “red flag” laws. These laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition a court to remove firearms temporarily from those exhibiting warning signs of violence. Indiana and Connecticut enacted ERPOs in 2005 and 1999 respectively, and studies found both were associated with a 7.5% reduction in gun suicides. Restricting access to assault weapons may also help curb mass shootings, as high-capacity semi-automatic rifles are the weapon of choice for most rampage killers. The federal assault weapons ban of 1994 was associated with a 25% drop in mass shooting fatalities when it was in effect according to analyses, though it expired in 2004 due to an NRA lobbying effort.
Access to firearms also makes it easier for those contemplating suicide to act impulsively in moments of crisis. Research shows that reducing access to highly lethal means can significantly decrease suicide deaths over time without method substitution. For example, a 2008 study found that a decline in the percentage of U.S. households with guns was linked to a 25% decrease in the firearm suicide rate between 1981 and 2002. Implementing waiting periods of 3-10 days for gun purchases and restricting civilian access to deadly types of ammunition like exploding or incendiary rounds are additional approaches that research indicates can limit gun deaths. While no individual solution is a panacea, a multi-pronged strategy offers the greatest potential for reducing gun violence in America according to the weight of scientific evidence.
Barriers to Legislative Progress
Despite widespread public support for certain gun safety measures, Congress has failed to enact any new federal firearm restrictions since the 1994 assault weapons ban. The firearms lobby, led by the National Rifle Association (NRA), has mounted fierce opposition to any laws that could curb access to or demand for guns. The NRA spent over $50 million in the 2016 election alone to influence politicians. Through lobbying, campaign contributions and grassroots mobilization of gun owners, the NRA has effectively stalled federal action to enact even the most modest regulations supported by research. They argue any new “gun control” will lead down a “slippery slope” towards confiscating firearms, and that people intent on doing harm will find a way regardless of the law. Other countries with stricter laws have been able demonstrate that appropriate regulation does not infringe on lawful gun ownership while achieving lower rates of lethal violence.
The NRA also opposes government funding of research into the public health impacts of gun violence. As a result, the CDC was effectively blocked from conducting such studies for over 20 years until restricted funding was restored in 2018. This lack of research hamstrung the ability of experts and policymakers to understand factors driving the crisis and evaluate promising solutions. Moreover, the broad interpretation of the 2nd Amendment as conferring an unfettered individual right to own firearms by the 2008 Heller Supreme Court ruling further limits what policies courts will permit. Overturning this precedent or passing federal preemption laws would likely require filibuster-proof majorities unlikely to be achieved in the current hyper-partisan climate. While the majority of Americans back certain reasonable reforms, the outsized political power of the NRA maintains the status quo of minimal federal oversight of deadly weapons.
Conclusion
Gun violence is a complex public health crisis facing the United States. Though Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, easy access to firearms enables tens of thousands of needless deaths every year, many by suicide. Various evidence-based policy solutions show promise for curbing this endemic violence, yet political gridlock at the federal level has blocked implementation. Powerful interest groups dedicated to expanding gun access have stalled legislative action through lobbying, litigation and misinformation campaigns. Overcoming this political stalemate and enacting comprehensive but reasonable reforms supported by data represents the greatest hope for Americans seeking solutions to stem the senseless loss of innocent lives to guns. A multifaceted approach including universal background checks, extreme risk laws and restricting high-capacity weapons merits consideration and could offer a path forward if implemented. Substantive change requires overcoming substantial barriers to make policy commensurate with the scale of human costs exacted by guns in this country.
Andrew Stroud