Press Releases

For release: April 21, 2016 Washington, DC — New research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) confirms that contrary to what the firearms industry and gun lobby claim, private citizens rarely use guns to kill criminals or stop crimes. The new study, Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use, analyzes the most recent federal data available, which shows that private citizens use guns to harm themselves or others far more often than to kill…

For Release: April 15, 2016 Washington, DC — Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 873 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, including 29 mass shootings that killed 139 people, ongoing VPC research shows. Since there is no comprehensive recordkeeping of fatal incidents involving concealed carry permit holders, this tally most likely represents a small fraction of the actual total. Details on these fatal incidents can be found on Concealed Carry Killers…

For Release: March 8, 2016 Washington, DC — The latest research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) confirms that state laws allowing concealed handguns in public are putting our safety at risk. Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 863 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, including 29 mass shootings that killed 139 people, VPC research shows. Since there is no comprehensive recordkeeping of fatal incidents perpetrated by concealed carry permit holders,…

For Release: Thursday, March 3, 2016 Violence Policy Center study lists black homicide victimization rates by state Washington, DC — A gun is by far the most common weapon used to kill black victims of homicide in America, according to a new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study found 84 percent of black homicide victims nationwide are killed with guns, most often a handgun. The annual study, Black Homicide Victimization in the…

For Release: Friday, February 26, 2016 Washington, DC — On Thursday, Cedric Larry Ford killed three people and injured 14 others in several locations including his workplace, Excel Industries, in Hesston, Kansas. The shooter was armed with an assault rifle and a semiautomatic handgun, according to police. This is already the ninth mass shooting in the United States in 2016, according to a Violence Policy Center (VPC) analysis which applies the federal definition of a…

For Release: Thursday, February 18, 2016 “Start Them Young” documents how the firearms industry and gun lobby market guns to children Washington, DC–The firearms industry and gun lobby are targeting children as young as grade-school age for financial and political gain, a comprehensive new study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) reveals. The 54-page report, “Start Them Young” — How the Firearms Industry and Gun Lobby Are Targeting Your Children, documents ongoing efforts by the…

For Release: Thursday, February 11, 2016 Gun industry is pushing legislation to weaken federal and state regulation of silencers Washington, DC — A new push by the gun industry to make it easier for private citizens to buy and possess firearm silencers threatens public safety, warns a new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). In detailing this marketing push, the study also documents examples of lethal attacks and criminal activity involving silencers. Silencers are…

For Release: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Firearms should be regulated for health and safety just like all other consumer products Washington, DC — The gun industry is holding its annual trade show this week in Nevada, a state where the number of gun deaths has outpaced the number of motor vehicle deaths for at least six years in a row, according to ongoing research by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The event, known as the…

For Release: Friday, January 15, 2016 Washington, DC — Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 849 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, including 29 mass shootings that killed 139 people, ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) finds. Since there is no comprehensive recordkeeping of fatal incidents perpetrated by concealed carry permit holders, this tally most likely represents a small fraction of the actual total. Details on these fatal incidents…

For Release: Monday, January 11, 2016 Firearms should be regulated for health and safety just like all other consumer products Washington, DC — Gun deaths outpaced motor vehicle deaths in 21 states and the District of Columbia in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, a new analysis from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) finds. This is the fifth edition of the VPC report comparing gun deaths to motor vehicle deaths by…

For Release: Monday, January 4, 2016 Alaska, Louisiana Have Highest Gun Death Rates in the Nation; Hawaii, Rhode Island Have Lowest Washington, DC — Newly available data for 2014 reveals that states with weak gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership have the highest overall gun death rates in the nation, according to a Violence Policy Center (VPC) analysis of just-released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center…

Washington, DC — Today, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced comprehensive legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Violence Policy Center (VPC) Legislative Director Kristen Rand made the following statement: “As our nation faces an unacceptable onslaught of mass shootings, this strong and much-needed legislation will protect public safety. Assault weapons are military-style firearms that should not be available to private citizens. This bill includes a comprehensive and effective ban on these weapons. High-capacity…

For Release: Monday, December 14, 2015 Washington, DC — On December 14, 2012, a man with a semiautomatic assault rifle killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center and a native of Newtown, made the following statement: “I have worked to end gun violence my entire adult life, but I will never forget that terrible day when grade-school-aged children were…

For Release: Friday, December 4, 2015 “Bullet Button” Assault Rifles Are Latest Gun Industry Effort to Circumvent California’s Tough Assault Weapons Ban Washington, DC — According to news reports, the shooters who killed 14 people and wounded 21 more in San Bernardino, California on Wednesday used a DPMS AR-15- style assault rifle equipped with a “bullet button,” a minor design feature that, because of a definitional loophole, has allowed gunmakers to circumvent the state’s ban…

For Release: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Washington, DC — Following today’s shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, where according to authorities at least 14 have been killed and 14 injured, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann made the following statement: “Today, yet another mass shooting has occurred, this time at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. While the total number of those killed and injured is not yet…

For Release: Thursday, November 5, 2015 Para la versión en español haga “click” aquí Annual study finds homicide was the second leading cause of death for California youth ages 10 to 24 Washington, DC — Monterey County has the highest homicide victimization rate for Californians ages 10 to 24, followed by Madera County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, and Merced County, a new study released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) finds. The annual…

Para divulgación inmediata: jueves, 5 de noviembre de 2015 Un estudio anual encuentra que el homicidio es la segunda causa principal de muerte para jóvenes californianos entre 10 y 24 años de edad Washington, DC —El Condado de Monterey presenta la tasa más alta de víctimas de homicidio para californianos entre 10 y 14 años de edad, seguido de los condados de Madera, San Francisco, Alameda y Merced, según un estudio divulgado hoy por el Centro…

For Release: Thursday, October 29, 2015 Nine out of 10 murder-suicides involve a gun, 72 percent involve an intimate partner Washington, DC — More than 1,200 people died in murder-suicides in America in 2014 and 93 percent of the killers used a gun, according to a comprehensive new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study, released to mark the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, found that 72 percent of murder-suicides…

For Release: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Washington, DC — State laws allowing private citizens to carry concealed handguns in public have done little to keep us safer and instead expose the public to more danger, ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) finds. Since 2007, the VPC has identified at least 579 fatal, non-self defense incidents involving concealed carry permit holders nationwide, a number that likely represents a fraction of the actual total. Details…

For Release: Thursday, October 8, 2015 Washington, DC — Today, senators announced a package of proposals to reduce gun violence, including expanded prohibitions on gun possession by domestic abusers and stronger protections against gun trafficking. Violence Policy Center (VPC) Legislative Director Kristen Rand issued the following statement: “We commend these senators for backing legislation to confront the public health epidemic of gun violence. Last week’s mass shooting that left nine innocent victims dead is the…