Press Releases

For Release: Thursday, February 5, 2015 Washington, DC — Individuals with permits to carry concealed handguns in public are responsible for at least 722 non-self defense deaths since 2007, a number that likely represents a fraction of the actual total, according to updated data released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). One of the most recent victims was Dr. Michael Davidson, a cardiac surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Concealed handgun permit holder…

For Release: Thursday, January 29, 2015 Additional Contact:  Cathie Whittenburg States United to Prevent Gun Violence 207-318-0771 cathie@ceasefireusa.org Alaska, Louisiana Have Highest Gun Death Rates in the Nation; Hawaii, Massachusetts Have Lowest Washington, DC — Newly available data for 2013 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 data from…

For Release: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Additional Contact:  Cathie Whittenburg States United to Prevent Gun Violence 207-318-0771 cathie@ceasefireusa.org State’s black homicide victimization rate is far above national average, 87 percent of victims killed with guns Washington, DC — Missouri leads the nation in the rate of black homicide victimization with a rate of 34.98 per 100,000, nearly two times the national black homicide victimization rate and more than seven times the overall homicide rate nationwide, according…

For Release: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Washington, DC — On Monday, the Senate voted to confirm Vivek Murthy as America’s next surgeon general, despite the National Rifle Association’s opposition. VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand made the following statement: “This is wonderful news and long overdue. No public official should be penalized for telling the truth about gun violence, a public health epidemic that kills over 33,000 Americans every year. We applaud every senator who stood up…

For Release: Friday, December 12, 2014 Washington, DC —Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann, a native of Newtown, Connecticut, made the following statement in advance of the two-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012: “Two years ago this Sunday, 20 children and six educators were brutally gunned down in Newtown, Connecticut, the town where I grew up. In the past two years, it’s become clear to anyone paying attention…

For Release: Thursday, December 11, 2014 Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center has documented at least 506 fatal non-self defense incidents since 2007 resulting from private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns, and this number almost certainly represents a fraction of the actual total. Today, the Violence Policy Center (VPC) released the latest update to Concealed Carry Killers, an online resource that provides examples of non-self defense killings by private citizens legally allowed to carry…

For Release: Friday, October 24, 2014 Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center (VPC) has documented at least 499 fatal non-self defense incidents since 2007 resulting from individuals legally allowed to carry concealed handguns, and this number almost certainly represents a fraction of the actual total. Today, the VPC released the latest update to Concealed Carry Killers, an online resource that provides examples of non-self defense killings by private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns in…

For Release: Thursday, October 23, 2014 Washington, DC — 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 newly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Meanwhile, states with the lowest overall gun death rates have lower rates of gun ownership and some…

For Release: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 * Para la versión en español haga “click” aqui Annual study ranks counties by youth homicide victimization rates, highlights model youth violence prevention programs, argues for prevention over “suppression” in reducing youth violence Washington, DC — Monterey County has the highest homicide victimization rate for Californians ages 10 to 24, followed by San Francisco County, San Joaquin County, Alameda County, and Stanislaus County, a new study released today by the…

Para divulgación inmediata: martes, 23 de septiembre de 2014 Un estudio anual clasifica a los condados por tasas de víctimas de homicidio, destaca programas de prevención de violencia juvenil y argumenta a favor de un enfoque preventivo, en vez de punitivo, para reducir la violencia juvenil 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…

For Release: Monday, September 8, 2014 Additional Contact: Sue Hornik States United to Prevent Gun Violence 631-275-8986 Study released to mark 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, and in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — Black women murdered by men are nearly always killed by someone they know and the most common weapon used is a gun, according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report When Men Murder Women:…

Para divulgación inmediata lunes, 8 de septiembre de 2014 Additional Contact: Sue Hornik States United to Prevent Gun Violence 631-275-8986 El informe se da a conocer con antelación a la realización del Mes de Reconocimiento y Prevención de la Violencia Doméstica en octubre próximo Washington, DC — En 2012 más de 1,700 mujeres fueron asesinadas por hombres en los Estados Unidos, de las cuales más de 90 por ciento fueron ultimadas por una persona que conocían,…

For Release: Monday, September 8, 2014 Additional Contact: Sue Hornik States United to Prevent Gun Violence 631-275-8986 Report Comes in Advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — More than 1,700 women were murdered by men in the United States in 2012, and more than 90 percent were killed by someone they knew, according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2012 Homicide Data. The annual…

For Release: Thursday, August 21, 2014 Washington, DC —Individuals legally allowed to carry concealed handguns are responsible for at least 659 non-self defense deaths since 2007, a number that likely represents a fraction of the actual total, according to updated data released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Details can be found in the latest update to Concealed Carry Killers, an online resource that offers examples of non-self defense killings by private citizens legally allowed to…

For Release: Monday, August 4, 2014 Washington, DC — One of the nation’s fiercest advocates for gun violence prevention, former White House Press Secretary James Brady, has passed away. VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann made the following statement: “For more than 30 years, Jim Brady was an indefatigable leader in the movement to end the gun violence epidemic. In the face of great personal adversity, he stepped forward to lead a relentless campaign to make America…

For Release: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 Additional Contact: Sue Hornik States United to Prevent Gun Violence 631-275-8986 To reduce gun death and injury, firearms should be subject to federal health and safety standards just like all other consumer products Washington, DC — Gun deaths outpaced motor vehicle deaths in 14 states and the District of Columbia in 2011, the most recent year for which comprehensive nationwide data is available, a new analysis from the Violence Policy Center (VPC)…

For Release: Thursday, July 3, 2014 Washington, DC — On Wednesday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation that would have changed the limit on the capacity of ammunition magazines from 15 rounds to 10. Violence Policy Center Legislative Director Kristen Rand issued the following statement: “Governor Christie has chosen to put gun industry profits ahead of saving lives. A ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines would protect law enforcement and the general public, and it would…

For Release: Tuesday, June 26, 2014 Washington, DC —Individuals legally allowed to carry concealed handguns are responsible for at least 28 mass shootings since May 2007, resulting in the deaths of 131 victims, according to updated data released by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Details can be found in the latest update to Concealed Carry Killers, an online resource that offers examples of non-self defense killings by private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns in public.…

For Release: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Additional Contact: Sue Hornik States United to Prevent Gun Violence 631-275-8986 sue@supgv.org Violence Policy Center Analysis Highlights Importance of State Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence  Washington, DC — 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 new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…

For Release: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Shooter’s manifesto called Glock pistol “an efficient and highly accurate weapon” Washington, DC — The killer in the Isla Vista shooting on May 23, 2014 owned three 9mm semiautomatic handguns, including two Sig Sauer P226 pistols and one Glock 34 pistol. Semiautomatic weapons are the type of firearm most commonly used in mass shootings. Below are important facts about the pistols used in the Isla Vista shooting, the manufacturers who…