8 Stubborn Facts on Gun Violence in America

John Malcom and Amy Swearer have written a great piece at Intellectual Takeout listing 8 stubborn facts on gun violence in America. Each fact is firmly based on empirical data, which are provided in the article. The eight facts:

Violent crime is down and has been on the decline for decades.

The principal public safety concerns with respect to guns are suicides and illegally owned handguns, not mass shootings.

A small number of factors significantly increase the likelihood that a person will be a victim of a gun-related homicide.

Gun-related murders are carried out by a predictable pool of people.

Higher rates of gun ownership are not associated with higher rates of violent crime.

There is no clear relationship between strict gun control legislation and homicide or violent crime rates.

Legally owned firearms are used for lawful purposes much more often than they are used to commit crimes or suicide.

Concealed carry permit holders are not the problem, but they may be part of the solution.

Go here to read the data backing up each point.