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Incredible as it may seem, So far, the United States has experienced at least 485 mass shootings so far this year., according to Gun Violence Archive. This equates to almost two mass shootings per day.
In addition, according to statistics, last year, at this point, the country had experienced 455 mass shootings, so if this inertia continues, 2023 could become the most violent year in this sector.
GVA had never logged a month of 60+ mass shootings prior to 2020.
It happened five times in 2020, six times in 2021, six times again in 2022, and three times so far this year.
August was the first month since April to not reach that number. https://t.co/7O4WtUMkCX
— The Gun Violence Archive (@GunDeaths) September 4, 2023
While mass shootings do not make up the majority of gun violence incidents in the United States, their impact on communities and victims is evident.
Incidents like the mass shootings in Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, continue to have cities in mourning and have prompted repeated calls for gun reform.
The Gun Violence Archive tracked approximately 645 mass shootings in 2022 and 690 in 2021.
Real-time US gun violence data for 2023, as of Labor Day:
•12,985 deaths
•25,736 injuries
•484 mass shootings
•30 mass murders
•686 children (age 0-11) shot
•3,826 teenagers (age 12-17) shot
•810 defensive use incidents
•1,105 accidental shootings
•~16,302 suicides*— The Gun Violence Archive (@GunDeaths) September 4, 2023
The rate of mass shootings in 2023 already exceeds that of previous yearswith an average of almost two mass shootings per day.
Besides, nearly 1 in 5 American adults have had a family member killed by a firearm, including homicides and suicidesaccording to a survey conducted in 2023 by the KFF (formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation).
Additionally, according to CNN data, about the same proportion of adults have been personally threatened with a firearm, and about 1 in 6 adults have witnessed a gunshot wound.
Even a study published in 2022 by Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of gun violence, states with less stringent gun laws have higher rates of firearm deaths, including homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths.
According to the CDC, the firearm homicide rate was 8.3% higher in 2021 than it was in 2020. Firearm suicide rates among people ages 10 and older also increased 8.3% from 2020 to 2021. And the percentage of homicides attributed to firearm injuries increased from 79% in 2020 to 81%, the highest percentage in more than 50 years.
*With information from CNN and ABC News.