Gun Violence by State 2024

The United States has very strong opinions regarding gun laws. Unfortunately, the U.S. has a high number of deaths, suicides, and mass shootings committed by firearms.

The U.S. has over 30,000 gun deaths per year. According to the FBI's 2019 Crime in the U.S. report, firearms were used in 73.66% of murders in the United States in 2019. Additionally, the Department of Justice estimates that 60% of adult firearm deaths are by suicide.

As we mentioned, gun violence does not always end in deaths. However, the outcome is usually some form of an injury or another. Whether they be the perpetrators or the victims, the majority of people involved in gun violence do not leave the scene unscathed. There are about 100,120 people injured by gun violence in America every year. And these values only account for situations where violence was an intention in the minds of those who committed firearm-related violence.

On the topic of gun-related injuries, many gun violence cases involve serious assault even though homicides are not the outcome. Race is significant when looking into the victims and perpetrators of gun violence in America, both on a state-by-state basis and nationwide. An unfortunate and backward truth in the United States is that young, Black males are the most likely people to experience gun violence. It is fifteen times more likely that a Black male will be the victim of a gun-related violent attack than their white, Hispanic, Indian, Asian, and other counterparts.

On top of racial biases, another problem that comes into play when looking at American gun violence is that many victims are attacked during disputes related to domestic violence instances. It is far more likely that a woman will be the victim of gun violence in an abusive household, and it is equally as likely that the perpetrator of the violence is a male partner, ex-partner, or relative of the victim. As of 2019, an estimated 52 women are killed in instances of gun violence during domestic violence confrontations.

Gun Violence by State

Based on the number of gun deaths per capita in 2021 alone, states with the most gun violence are:

1. Mississippi: 33.9
2. Louisiana: 29.1
3. New Mexico: 27.8

4. Alabama: 26.4
5. Wyoming: 26.1
6. Alaska: 25.2

7. Montana: 25.1
8. Arkansas: 23.3
9. Missouri: 23.2

10. Tennessee: 22.8

These states tend to have high gun ownership rates. Montana has the highest with 66.3%, followed by Wyoming with 66.2%, and Alaska with 64.5%.

In comparison, states with low gun violence per capita like Massachusetts (3.4), Hawaii (4.8), New Jersey (5.2), and New York (5.4) have lower rates of gun ownership and stricter gun regulations.

The table below presents information from the CDC’s 2021 Firearm Mortality by State report. This information is a few years old; however, it gives a good idea of gun violence in each state.