Which Weapons Are Most
Commonly Used for Homicides?
Click then 'F' to see full image
From JPFO. Sept 14, 2021
Article Source
The above image (click on it then keyboard 'F' to reveal full size) is the start of a large detailed infographic compiled from 2019 FBI data, comparing figures for different weapons' usage in homicides, including a "by state" analysis. It shows how the much condemned rifles feature very low compared with hand guns, but also shows significant figures for non-firearm homicide weapons, which are frequently overlooked. (Download the large image file for reference if required.)
Thanks to the Jocelyn Law Firm:—
With the renewed push by the federal government for an 'assault weapons' ban, we couldn't help but wonder, just how often are 'assault rifles' really to blame for crimes? More specifically, how often are they used as murder weapons when compared to all of the other types of weapons available?
Using FBI homicide statistics from the 2019 Crime in the United States report, the insights team at the Joslyn Law Firm charted out how often different types of weapons were used in homicides in the U.S.
Of the 16,425 homicides that occurred in 2019, the FBI was able to collect supplemental data for 13,922 of them, which is what our data is based on. The weapon types are broken down into the different types of firearms: handguns, rifles, shotguns, and a category for homicides in which the type of firearm was unknown. It also compares the number of homicides that were committed by non-firearm weapons such as knives or cutting instruments as well as bodily weapons, which include people's hands, fists, and feet. Non-firearm weapons were used for one-quarter of all homicides in the United States.
Would a ban on 'assault rifles' actually help to curb the violence? With rifles being a relatively uncommon type of weapon used in homicides in the United States, an 'assault rifle' ban may not make much difference when it comes to the number of murders that occur. Homicides are overwhelmingly committed using handguns; they were found to be the most common murder weapon for nearly half of all homicides in the United States in 2019. Even hands, fists, and feet are used to commit homicide almost twice as often as a rifle is.
An NIH study that investigated the levels of criminal activity committed with assault weapons or other high-capacity semiautomatics also found that these types of weapons are only being used in a small percentage of crimes: "Assault weapons (primarily assault-type rifles) account for 2-12% of guns used in crime in general (most estimates suggest less than 7%)." Wouldn't all of the time, money, and resources being used to push for an assault rifle ban be better used elsewhere, such as creating a better mental health-care system that is accessible to those that need it most?
