Press Releases

For Release: Wednesday, December 16, 2020 Washington, DC — Innocent victims continue to die at the hands of private citizens with permits to carry concealed handguns, according to ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 1,760 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, VPC research shows. Details on these fatal incidents can be found on Concealed Carry Killers (concealedcarrykillers.org), an online resource that provides examples…

For Release: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 New Violence Policy Center Report Released During Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — California females murdered by males almost always know their killer and the most common weapon used is a gun, according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report When Men Murder Women: California. In 2018, 192 females were killed by males in the state and 88 percent of the victims knew their killer.…

For Release: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Annual Violence Policy Center study ranks the states by the rate of females killed by males in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — South Carolina ranks eleventh in the nation in the rate of women murdered by men, with a rate of 1.68 per 100,000, according to the most recent edition of the annual Violence Policy Center (VPC) study When Men Murder Women. This…

For Release: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Annual VPC Study Released for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — Nine out of 10 Black women murdered by men are killed by someone they know, most often with a gun, according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) study When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2018 Homicide Data. Each year the VPC releases this report in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.…

For Release: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Annual study ranks the states by the rate of females killed by males in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October Washington, DC — Nearly 2,000 women were murdered by men in 2018 and the most common weapon used was a gun, according to the most recent edition of the annual Violence Policy Center (VPC) study When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2018 Homicide Data. Each year…

For Release: Thursday, September 17, 2020 New VPC Analysis Released During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September Washington, DC — States with lower rates of gun ownership and strong gun violence prevention laws have the lowest overall suicide rates in the nation according to a new Violence Policy Center (VPC) analysis of 2018 data (the most recent year available) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.…

For Release: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Washington, DC — Following today’s announcement that the New York Attorney General is seeking the dissolution of the National Rifle Association (NRA) as the result of numerous violations of its charity status, VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann, author of the 1992 book NRA: Money, Firepower & Fear as well as numerous studies on the NRA, issued the following statement: For decades our organization has studied and exposed the inner workings of the NRA and…

For Release: Thursday, July 23, 2020 Nine out of 10 murder-suicides involve a gun, 65 percent involve an intimate partner Study released amid national concern over potential murder-suicides related to COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders  Washington, DC — More than 1,200 people died in murder-suicides in America in 2019 and 89 percent of the killers used a gun, according to a comprehensive new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study’s release comes as concerns grow across the…

For Release: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 95 Percent of Black Homicide Victims in Missouri were Killed with Guns Washington, DC — For the fourth year in a row, Missouri has the highest black homicide victimization rate in the nation with a rate of 57.30 per 100,000 — nearly triple the national black homicide victimization rate and 11 times the overall homicide rate nationwide — according to a new analysis by the Violence Policy Center (VPC).…

For Release: Wednesday, May 13, 2020 In 2017, for every justifiable homicide in the U.S. involving a gun, guns were used in 35 criminal homicides Washington, DC — For every time a gun is used to justifiably kill a criminal, guns claim 35 lives in criminal homicides alone according to Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use, a just-released study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). This most recent edition of the VPC study…

For Release: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Washington, DC — While the National Rifle Association and firearms industry exploit the COVID-19 crisis to increase “self-defense” gun sales, innocent victims continue to die at the hands of private citizens already armed with permits to carry concealed handguns according to ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 1,371 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, VPC research shows.…

For Release: Thursday, March 19, 2020 In 2016, for every justifiable homicide in the United States involving a gun, guns were used in 37 criminal homicides Guns purchased today will place families and friends at risk for gun suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths for years to come Washington, DC — Recent news stories have reported anecdotal increases in gun sales due to COVID-19 fears, yet guns are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes…

For Release: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Washington, DC — Innocent victims continue to die at the hands of private citizens with permits to carry concealed handguns, according to ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 1,365 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, VPC research shows. Details on these fatal incidents can be found on Concealed Carry Killers (concealedcarrykillers.org), an online resource that provides examples…

For Release: Monday, February 24, 2020 Mississippi, Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri, and Louisiana Have Highest Gun Death Rates in the Nation Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey Have Lowest Gun Death Rates in the Nation Washington, DC — Just-released WISQARS data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control show that states with the highest rates of overall gun death in the nation are those with…

For Release: Wednesday, December 11, 2019 Washington, DC — Innocent victims continue to die at the hands of private citizens with permits to carry concealed handguns, according to ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 1,358 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, VPC research shows. Details on these fatal incidents can be found on Concealed Carry Killers (concealedcarrykillers.org), an online resource that provides examples…

For Release: Tuesday, October 29, 2019 Contest is open to high school and college students across the U.S. and submissions will be accepted through April 15, 2020 Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today announced the launch of the 2019 Youth Against Gun Violence Scholarship Film Contest. The national competition, which is now accepting video/film entries from young filmmakers across America, seeks to amplify the voices of teens and young adults facing the…

For Release: Thursday, October 17, 2019 Washington, DC — Innocent victims continue to die at the hands of private citizens with permits to carry concealed handguns, according to ongoing research from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Concealed handgun permit holders are responsible for at least 1,335 deaths not involving self defense since 2007, VPC research shows. Details on these fatal incidents can be found on Concealed Carry Killers (concealedcarrykillers.org), an online resource that provides examples…

Fecha de divulgación: lunes, 30 de septiembre de, 2019 Del total de latinos suicidados, en un tercio de los casos se usó un arma de fuego To view this press release in English, click here. Washington, DC — En California, entre 1999 y 2016 más de 10,000 hispanos/latinos perdieron la vida suicidándose. Y en un tercio de esas muertes se usó un arma de fuego, según Suicidios de hispanos/latinos en California, un nuevo estudio realizado…

For Release: Monday, September 30, 2019 One Third of Latino Suicide Deaths Involved a Firearm Para la versión en español haga “click” aquí. Washington, DC — From 1999 to 2016, more than 10,000 Hispanics/Latinos lost their lives to suicide in California. Of these, one third of the deaths involved a firearm, according to Hispanic/Latino Suicide in California, a new study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) released today during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Funded…

For Release: Wednesday, September 25, 2019 Analysis Part of Violence Policy Center Testimony Presented Today at Assault Weapons Hearing Before House Judiciary Committee Washington, DC — One in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty in 2016 and 2017 were killed with an assault weapon, according to research by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The new analysis was released today as part of testimony by VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand before a…