Press Releases

For Release: Thursday, January 24, 2013 Washington, DC–Following Senator Dianne Feinstein’s introduction today of a landmark bill to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement: “Military-bred semiautomatic assault weapons and ultra-high capacity ammunition magazines now define a U.S. civilian gun market where virtually anyone can acquire the lethal firepower necessary to carry out mass shootings. Senator Feinstein’s bill is crucial to ratcheting down the firepower…

For Release: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Washington, DC–In response to the Obama administration’s proposals to reduce gun violence in the United States, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement: “The combination of improved and expanded background checks, effective bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and stronger anti-trafficking laws will work together to prevent another Newtown and to stem the daily gun violence that tears apart too many families and communities. …

For Release: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Washington, DC–In response to passage of New York ’s tough new gun law, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement: “With swift passage of a strengthened assault weapons ban, meaningful limits on magazine capacity, background checks for all gun purchases, and other important provisions, New York state undoubtedly now has one of the strongest gun laws in the country.  The state’s new ‘one characteristic’ test banning…

For Release: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Washington, DC–Following participation in today’s meeting with Vice President Biden of gun violence prevention organizations and advocates, Violence Policy Center Legislative Director Kristen Rand stated: “The Administration’s long-term commitment to reducing gun violence, through both legislative and administrative approaches, is clear and steadfast. We applaud the Administration’s leadership and feel very encouraged that progress will be made.”       About the Violence Policy Center The Violence Policy Center is…

For Release: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 NSSF-Sponsored SHOT Show begins in Las Vegas on January 15, 2013, Scheduled to Include Manufacturer of Gun Used in Newtown Shooting, Among Numerous Other Assault Weapon Manufacturers  Barring Mainstream Press from Event, NSSF Hopes ‘What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas’  Washington, DC–On January 15, 2013, the Newtown, Connecticut-based gun industry trade association the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will launch the 35th edition of its SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor…

For Release: Friday, December 21, 2012 Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, and native of Newtown, Connecticut, issued the following statement today in response to the NRA’s call for more armed guards as the sole solution to school shootings in the United States: “The NRA plan, which cynically allows for the continued sale of the assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines marketed by its gun industry corporate donors  has already been tried, and…

For Release: Thursday, November 29, 2012 Washington, DC–The deadly shooting in Florida of Jordan Davis, 17, by Michael Dunn, 45, in a dispute over loud music at a Florida gas station on November 23rd is unfortunately only one example of at least 499 victims killed in 32 states since May 2007 in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns according to the November update of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) Concealed…

For Release: Friday, November 9, 2012 Washington, DC–At least 484 people, including 14 law enforcement officers, have been killed since May 2007 in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns according to the October update of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) Concealed Carry Killers on-line resource (http://concealedcarrykillers.org). VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “People legally carrying concealed handguns in public are supposed to stop crime but overwhelming evidence shows that too many…

For Release: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 WASHINGTON, DC–A new Violence Policy Center (VPC) analysis (vpc.org/studies/dmv.pdf) of just-released federal firearm and motor vehicle deaths data reveals that gun deaths outpace motor vehicle deaths in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia). The analysis, which uses the most recent complete data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, reveals that in 2010– Gun deaths in the DMV totaled 1,512 while…

For Release: Thursday, September 27, 2012 Washington, DC–At least 471 people, including 14 law enforcement officers, have been killed in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns according to the September update of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) Concealed Carry Killers on-line resource (http://concealedcarrykillers.org/). VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “The tragic deaths included in Concealed Carry Killersare only anecdotes that represent a much larger problem. The public is left in the dark…

For Release: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 WASHINGTON, DC–Black females murdered by men are most often killed with a gun, almost always by someone they know, according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2010 Homicide Data” (vpc.org/studies/wmmw2012.pdf). The annual VPC report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the…

For Release: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 State Has Held Top Spot for Five of the Last Six Years WASHINGTON, DC–Nevada, with a rate of 2.62 per 100,000, ranked first in the nation in the rate of women killed by men for the third year in a row according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2010 Homicide Data” (vpc.org/studies/wmmw2012.pdf). The state has held the top position for five…

For Release: Friday, August 24, 2012 Washington, DC–Following the fourth high-profile shooting in little over a month, this time outside the Empire State Building in New York City and reportedly involving a 45 caliber handgun, the Violence Policy Center, a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury, issued the following statement: “How long are we going to ignore America’s gun crisis? Today’s shooting outside the Empire State building is the fourth high-profile…

For Release: Monday, August 6, 2012 Washington, DC–Following the second gun massacre in a little over two weeks, this time at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin leaving six victims dead and others critically wounded, the Violence Policy Center, a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury, issued the following statement: “For the second time in little over two weeks, people peaceably gathered together have become the victims of America’s gun industry. This…

For Release: Thursday, July 26, 2012 Washington, DC–Colorado mass shooter James Holmes’ alleged use of a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle “demonstrates the clear and present danger of a gun designed for war and ruthlessly marketed for profit to civilians” according to a new report, Understanding the Smith & Wesson M&P15 Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Used in the Aurora, Colorado Mass Murder, released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The report details Smith &…

NRA Receives Millions of Dollars From Online Sales of Ammo, Other Accessories Through Leading Benefactor’s “Round-Up Program,” M&P15 Assault Rifle Manufacturer Smith & Wesson is NRA’s Latest Million-Dollar Donor For Release: Wednesday, July 23, 2012 Washington, DC–Changes in federal law that allow virtually anyone to purchase ammunition over the Internet in bulk quantities without any recordkeeping are the direct result of the National Rifle Association’s flagship bill of the 1980s–The Firearms Owners’ Protection Act, commonly known…

For Release: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 Washington, DC–The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today launched a new on-line resource, Cross-Border Gun Trafficking: An Ongoing Analysis of the Types of Firearms Illegally Trafficked from the United States to Mexico and Other Latin American and Caribbean Countries as Revealed in U.S. Court Documents. The site is available in both English (vpc.org/indicted) and Spanish (vpc.org/indictedesp). Cross-Border Gun Trafficking contains indictments and other documents related to federal gun trafficking prosecutions filed since 2006 primarily…

For Release: Friday, June 29, 2012 Washington, DC–At least 462 people, including 14 law enforcement officers, have been killed in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns according to the June update of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) Concealed Carry Killers on-line resource (http://concealedcarrykillers.org). VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “The number of innocent people whose lives are cut short by concealed carry permit holders is stunning considering the fact that we…

For Release: Thursday, May 31, 2012 Washington, DC–At least 447 people, including 12 law enforcement officers, have been killed in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns according to the May update of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) Concealed Carry Killers on-line resource (http://concealedcarrykillers.org). VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “This tragic body count is only a fraction of the number of innocent people who have paid with their lives for the…

For Release: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 Latest State Figures Show Injury Prevention Strategies Working to Reduce Motor Vehicle Deaths While Gun Deaths Mount WASHINGTON, DC–A new Violence Policy Center (VPC) state-by-state analysis of government data comparing firearm deaths and motor vehicle deaths shows that gun deaths outpaced motor vehicle deaths in 10 states in 2009, the most recent year for which state level data is available. The 10 states which experienced more firearm deaths than motor…