The Federal Bureau of Investigation released its Uniform Crime Report for 2018 on Monday, and the numbers indicate that more people were killed by knives than rifles.
The annual report touts an overall drop in violent crime for the second consecutive year, according to the Bureau’s news release on the numbers. However, the numbers specifically on homicides in the United States offer some insight into America’s ongoing gun control debate.
Due to multiple shooting massacres that took place in August, gun control proponents have once again turned their animus toward semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15. Perhaps the most salient example of this is 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke’s pledge, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
Firefighter’s body recovered from vacation getaway after weekend kayaking accident
Hakeem Jeffries demands Trump ‘justify’ striking Iran, but side-steps impeachment question
CNN Issues Correction After Karoline Leavitt Shoots Down ‘Fake News’ Report About Iran Strike
Deep Dive: Over 30 Times US Presidents Used Military Force Without a Declaration of War
Ex-Clinton official applauds Trump’s ‘courageous’ Iran call, doubts Harris would’ve had the nerve
Venezuelan gang suspect in US illegally allegedly attempts to murder federal agent during arrest
Dozens of Christians Killed, Injured After ISIS Terrorist Attacks Church During Service
Trump slams Russia’s casual threat to arm Iran with nuclear weapons: ‘That’s why Putin’s the boss’
What to know about the three Iran nuclear sites targeted in US strikes
Unions air their grievances about NYC proposal for open primaries: ‘Unsound’
Reza Pahlavi opens ‘channel’ for defecting Iranian officials, offers Khamenei ‘fair trial’
Ex-ICE chief warns Biden’s border crisis likely fueled Iranian sleeper threat in US
Gunman Fires on Church, Gets Nailed by Church Member in Truck, Then Finished Off by Armed Parishioners
‘For Sale’: DOGE moves to sell off almost half a billion in federal real estate, relocate cabinet agency HQs
American travelers should know escape routes at transit hubs after Iran strikes, security expert warns
However, as has been the case in previous years, the numbers show that rifles in general — including semi-automatics as well as others — only account for a fraction of a percent of the total homicide rate in the United States.
Here’s what the FBI’s 2018 homicide numbers show us:
- Overall, the number of homicides dropped from 15,195 in 2017 to 14,123 in 2018. The overall number of people murdered with guns dropped as well.
- 10,265 were committed with firearms, out of which handguns accounted for 6,603.
- Rifles were used in 297 homicides, shotguns in 235, and “other guns” in 167.
- 2,963 homicides were listed as “firearms, type not stated.”
What does this show us? According to the available information, rifles accounted for just 2.1 percent of total homicides last year — and 2.9 percent of gun homicides.
Firefighter’s body recovered from vacation getaway after weekend kayaking accident
Hakeem Jeffries demands Trump ‘justify’ striking Iran, but side-steps impeachment question
CNN Issues Correction After Karoline Leavitt Shoots Down ‘Fake News’ Report About Iran Strike
Deep Dive: Over 30 Times US Presidents Used Military Force Without a Declaration of War
Ex-Clinton official applauds Trump’s ‘courageous’ Iran call, doubts Harris would’ve had the nerve
Venezuelan gang suspect in US illegally allegedly attempts to murder federal agent during arrest
Dozens of Christians Killed, Injured After ISIS Terrorist Attacks Church During Service
Trump slams Russia’s casual threat to arm Iran with nuclear weapons: ‘That’s why Putin’s the boss’
What to know about the three Iran nuclear sites targeted in US strikes
Unions air their grievances about NYC proposal for open primaries: ‘Unsound’
Reza Pahlavi opens ‘channel’ for defecting Iranian officials, offers Khamenei ‘fair trial’
Ex-ICE chief warns Biden’s border crisis likely fueled Iranian sleeper threat in US
Gunman Fires on Church, Gets Nailed by Church Member in Truck, Then Finished Off by Armed Parishioners
‘For Sale’: DOGE moves to sell off almost half a billion in federal real estate, relocate cabinet agency HQs
American travelers should know escape routes at transit hubs after Iran strikes, security expert warns
Once again, deaths from knives and “personal weapons” like hands, fists, and feet were higher than the number of homicides committed with rifles. More than five times as many murders were committed with knives (1,515) as with rifles, and more than twice as many people were killed with “personal weapons” (672). Other years included in the FBI report’s table — which spans 2014-2018 — show similar disparities between the same weapon types.
Again, these numbers are just for rifles as a whole. There’s no further breakdown for what kind of action or cosmetic features the rifles had.
But despite the facts, the question of what to do about the AR-15 and other widely used semi-automatic rifles — sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” — will likely remain as one of the main focus points in America’s ongoing debate about guns and the Second Amendment.
Story cited here.