Publications

VPC publications date back to 1988. Most publications are available in PDF or HTML format and can be downloaded below. Some early VPC publications are available only in hard copy. For these, please contact the VPC for ordering information.

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2022 Homicide Data

Slideshows: Examples of How the Gun Industry Markets Its Militarized Weapons to Civilian Gun Buyers

May 2022
Press Release

Silencers: A Threat to Public Safety

July 2019
13 Pages
Press Release

The Gun Industry Celebrates Thanksgiving – With Guns

November 2024 ─ The gun industry never misses an opportunity to market its increasingly lethal products to the American public. While most of America sees Thanksgiving as an opportunity to gather with family, friends, and neighbors to give thanks and celebrate together, the gun industry sees it as just another sales opportunity. This slideshow offers examples of gunmaker Instagram posts which market firearms using the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gun Deaths Surpass Motor Vehicle Deaths in 35 States and the District of Columbia in 2020

November 2024 ─ This analysis examines how in 2022, 35 states and the District of Columbia recorded more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths. The analysis finds that in just over a decade, the number of states plus the District of Columbia where gun deaths exceed motor vehicle deaths has increased from just 13 in 2010 to 36 in 2022—a jump of 177 percent. This is the seventh edition of the VPC report comparing gun deaths to motor vehicle deaths by state.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

American Indian/Alaska Native Victims of Lethal Firearm Violence in the United States

October 2024 ─ This study analyzes data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealing that members of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community are disproportionately impacted by firearm violence. The study finds that in 2022, there were 596 gun deaths in the AI/AN population (265 of which were homicides and 275 were suicides). Rates of both firearm homicide and firearm suicide have been increasing in this population in recent years.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

Gun Death in Wisconsin

October 2024 ─ This study, released jointly with Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) Educational Fund, analyzes data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on lethal gun violence in the state and compares Wisconsin firearm death data to other Great Lakes states. The study offers year-over-year trend analyses by sex, age, race, and ethnicity for firearm suicide and firearm homicide. It also examines gun suicide and homicide death in urban and rural areas and presents firearm criminal trace data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The report also presents personal stories of Wisconsin residents impacted by lethal gun violence.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2022 Homicide Data

October 2024 ─ Released each year for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, this study uses 2022 data, the most recent available, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and analyzes homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. This is the 27th edition of When Men Murder Women and this year presents only national data. While 25 prior editions of the report ranked the states by their rate of females killed by males, due to an ongoing switchover in the way the FBI collects and reports crime data, the information currently available does not allow for state ranking. The VPC hopes that at some point in the near future FBI crime data will once again be sufficiently robust to allow for a more complete analysis of the state-level data, including state rankings.

Press Release: Nearly Nine out of 10 Women Murdered by Men are Killed by Someone They Know and Two Thirds Die by Gunfire, New Violence Policy Center Study Finds (10/03/2024)
Press Release: Black Women Murdered by Men Are Almost Always Killed by Someone They Know, Most Commonly with a Gun (10/03/2024)
Slideshow: Key Findings from When Men Murder Women
Slideshow: Black Females Killed by Males–Key Findings from When Men Murder Women
Fact Sheet: South Carolina’s History of Deadly Violence Against Women
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

SKS Assault Rifles: A Menace to Public Safety

September 2024 ─ This backgrounder provides information on the SKS assault rifle. It details how SKS assault rifles are notoriously easy to convert to full-auto fire, lists high-profile attacks the weapon has been used in, and contains a list of incidents where law enforcement officers were killed with SKS assault rifles, including incidents where rounds fired from the weapon penetrated an officer’s bullet-resistant vest.

States with Lower Gun Ownership and Strong Gun Laws Have Lowest Suicide Rates

September 2024 ─ Released during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, this report presents overall suicide as well as gun suicides rates state by state, revealing the decisive role played by firearms in suicide attempts. The analysis identified the three states with the highest and lowest overall suicide rates in 2022 and included for each state its gun suicide rate, total number of suicides and gun suicides, percentage of suicides that involved a gun, and household gun ownership.
Social Media Graphics

Apalachee High School Shooting: Gun Industry Marketing to Children

September 2024 ─ In the wake of the school shooting allegedly committed with an AR-15 style assault rifle by a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the Violence Policy Center (VPC) released a new backgrounder on the gun industry’s marketing of guns to children.
Press Release

Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2022 Homicide Data

July 2024 ─ This annual study examines Black homicide victimization at the national and state levels utilizing data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study offers national data, ranks the states by their rates of Black homicide victimization, and offers additional information for the 10 states with the highest Black homicide victimization rates.
Press Release
Two page summary
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Gun Death in Illinois: Annual Report 2024 Edition

June 2024 ─ This study, released jointly with One Aim Illinois, analyzes the most recent data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on lethal gun violence in the state and compares Illinois firearm death data to other Great Lakes states. The report also offers firearms trace information on guns used in crime in Illinois from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Throughout the study are quotes from Illinois residents impacted by gun violence who are members of the One Aim’s Survivors Council.
Press Release
Two page summary
Social Media Graphics

America’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers

May 2024 ─ Thousands of Americans possess a federal license to manufacture firearms, yet relatively few actually produce any guns according to America’s Hidden Gun Manufacturers, a study from the VPC’s ongoing Campaign for Gun Industry Accountability. Instead, the license can be used to bypass requirements that apply to unlicensed individuals buying a gun, such as background checks. In addition, license holders can purchase firearms interstate from wholesalers at discount and in unlimited quantities and, by paying additional fees to the government, undercut the tight restrictions on the sale and possession of new fully automatic machine guns and firearm silencers.
Press Release

States with Weak Gun Laws and Higher Gun Ownership Have Highest Gun Death Rates in the Nation, New Data for 2022 Confirm

May 2024 ─ Using 2022 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the highest rates of overall gun death in the nation are those with weak gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. In contrast, states with the lowest overall gun death rates have stronger gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.
Social Media Graphics

Mass Shootings in the United States Involving Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines

January 2024 ─ This publication offers examples of mass shootings since 1980 in which large capacity ammunition magazines are known to have been used. The list includes available information on the casualties, firearms, and large capacity ammunition magazines in each of the mass shootings.

Gun Death in Illinois: Annual Report

December 2023 ─ This study, released jointly with One Aim Illinois, analyzes the most recent data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on lethal gun violence in the state and compares Illinois firearm death data to other Great Lakes states. The report also offers firearms trace information on guns used in crime in Illinois from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Throughout the study are quotes from Illinois residents impacted by gun violence who are members of the One Aim’s Survivors Council.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

Hispanic Victims of Lethal Firearms Violence in the United States | Español

December 2023 ─ This study, in both English and Spanish reveals the disproportionate impact that lethal firearms violence has on Hispanics in the United States. It presents available information on Hispanic homicide victimization and suicide, the role of firearms in homicides and suicide, and overall gun death figures. The study also provides recommendations to governmental agencies to ensure complete and accurate data collection on Hispanic victims of lethal violence to aid in violence prevention.
Press Release | Español
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

VPC Backgrounder on Ruger, the Manufacturer of the Assault Rifle Used in the Lewiston, Maine Mass Shooting

October 2023 ─This backgrounder offers information on the Ruger SFAR assault rifle used in the Lewiston, Maine mass shooting, and other assault weapons manufactured by the company, additional mass shootings that have been committed with Ruger firearms (including foreign civilian mass shootings), firearm production data, voluntary “safety alerts” warning of defects in specific Ruger firearms, the company’s financial support of the National Rifle Association, and links to its social media outlets.
Press Release

American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States

October 2023 ─ Published every two years, this study is the largest and most comprehensive national analysis available on murder-suicide in the United States. The study analyzes news reports of murder-suicides for the first six months of 2021 and explains common murder-suicide trends and characteristics. This is the eighth edition of the study published by the VPC.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

When Men Murder Women: A Review of 25 Years of Female Homicide Victimization in the United States

October 2023 ─ This publication analyzes 25 years of data, from 1996 to 2020, from the VPC’s annual report, When Men Murder Women. This year, the VPC was forced to temporarily suspend the state rankings usually contained in the report due to the unreliability of 2021 federal crime data as the result of the FBI’s ongoing transition from its Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the new National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

The Negative Impact of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Transition on Gun Violence Research

October 2023 ─ This publication offers an overview of the problems stemming from the unreliability of 2021 federal crime data as the result of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s ongoing transition from its Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the new National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use

March 2023 ─ Using unpublished 2019 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

States with Strong Gun Laws and Lower Gun Ownership Have Lowest Gun Death Rates in the Nation, New Data for 2021 Confirms

February 2023 ─ Using 2021 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the lowest rates of overall gun death in the nation are those with strong gun violence prevention laws and low rates of gun ownership. In contrast, states with the highest overall gun death rates have weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership.

50 State Actions to Reduce Gun Violence

December 2022 ─ This report details 50 proposals for state or local action that have demonstrated success where they have been
enacted and are a starting point for states interested in promoting public safety by addressing preventable gun violence.
Press Release

Gun Ownership in America: 1973 to 2021

November 2022 ─ Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) of the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, this report details household and personal gun ownership in the United States from 1973 to 2021 (the most recent year for which GSS data is available).

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2020 Homicide Data

September 2022 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2020 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on Black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Download the study as a pdf
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

VPC Backgrounder on Daniel Defense

May 2022 ─ This backgrounder contains information on Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. This backgrounder contains rifle production information, prior mass shootings involving the company’s assault rifles, examples of advertising and catalog excerpts citing the firepower and military pedigree of their weapons, the “disappearance” of Daniel Defense’s booth at the NRA’s annual meeting this weekend, and a disturbing 2014 video released by the NRA promoting Daniel Defense equating a woman with one of its guns.

VPC Backgrounder: The Glock Pistol—A Favorite of Mass Shooters

May 2022 ─ This backgrounder focuses on pistol manufacturer Glock, Inc. as an example of the gun industry’s continued and aggressive marketing of increasingly lethal firearms. The publication details the company’s history, the numerous mass shootings Glock pistols have been used in since 1991, and the gun industry’s switch from six-shot revolvers to high-capacity pistols in the 1980s.

Slideshows: Examples of How the Gun Industry Markets Its Militarized Weapons to Civilian Gun Buyers

May 2022 ─ This three-part slide show of firearms industry ads and catalog images exposes the common themes that gunmakers use in their marketing of militarized weapons such as the Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle used in the mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Press Release

Gun Deaths Surpass Motor Vehicle Deaths in 34 States and the District of Columbia in 2020

April 2022 ─ This analysis examines how in 2020, 34 states and the District of Columbia recorded more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths. The analysis finds that in just over a decade, the number of states plus the District of Columbia where gun deaths exceed motor vehicle deaths has increased from just 13 in 2010 to 35 in 2020—a jump of 169 percent. This is the sixth edition of the VPC report comparing gun deaths to motor vehicle deaths by state.
Press Release

States with Weak Gun Laws and Higher Gun Ownership Lead Nation in Gun Deaths, New Data for 2020 Confirms

February 2022 ─ Using 2020 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the highest rates of overall gun death in the nation are those with weak gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. In contrast, states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.
Social Media Graphics

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2019 Homicide Data

September 2021 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2019 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on Black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

How the Firearms Industry Markets Guns to Asian Americans

September 2021 ─ This study reveals how the gun industry, exploiting the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, is targeting the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as potential new gun buyers and future pro-gun advocates.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

Hispanic Victims of Lethal Firearms Violence in the United States | Español

July 2021 ─ This study, in both English and Spanish reveals the disproportionate impact that lethal firearms violence has on Hispanics in the United States. It presents available information on Hispanic homicide victimization and suicide, the role of firearms in homicides and suicide, and overall gun death figures. The study also provides recommendations to governmental agencies to ensure complete and accurate data collection on Hispanic victims of lethal violence to aid in violence prevention.
Press Release | Español
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Misfire: The Gun Industry’s Lack of Accountability for Defective Firearms

March 2021 ─This study details the prevalence of defective guns sold in the United States and describes the failure of government oversight in addressing this longstanding public safety issue. Warning that there are millions of defective guns in America, the study details the real-world impact of the little-known fact that the gun industry is the only manufacturer of a consumer product that is entirely exempt from federal health and safety regulation.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

States with Strong Gun Laws and Lower Gun Ownership Have Lowest Gun Death Rates in the Nation, New Data for 2019 Confirms

February 2021 ─ Using 2019 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership. In contrast, the five states with the highest overall gun death rates have weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership.
Social Media Graphics

New Data Shows One in Five Law Enforcement Officers Slain in the Line of Duty from 2016 to 2018 Were Felled by an Assault Weapon

February 2021 ─ This analysis found that one in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty from 2016 to 2018 were killed with an assault weapon.

How the Firearms Industry and NRA Market Guns to Communities of Color

January 2021 ─ This comprehensive study documents the coordinated efforts by the firearms industry and National Rifle Association (NRA) targeting Blacks and Latinos as potential new gun buyers and pro-gun advocates for future political battles.
Press Release | Español
Executive Summary | Español
Social Media Graphics

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2018 Homicide Data

September 2020 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2018 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
When Men Murder Women: California | Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States

July 2020 ─ Published every two years, this study is the largest and most comprehensive national analysis available on murder-suicide in the United States. The study analyzes news reports of murder-suicides for the first six months of 2019 and explains common murder-suicide trends and characteristics. This is the seventh edition of the study published by the VPC.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use

May 2020 ─ Using unpublished 2017 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this annual study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Hispanic/Latino Suicide in California

September 2019 ─ This report, available in both English and Spanish, presents information on Latino suicide in California and focuses on the role played by firearms. It also presents suicide data for other races/ethnicities in California — white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native. In addition to data for all ages, the study also focuses on the 10-to-24 year old age group.
Press Release | Español
Social Media Graphics

One in Five Law Enforcement Officers Slain in the Line of Duty Felled by an Assault Weapon

September 2019 ─ This analysis found that one in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty in 2016 and 2017 were killed with an assault weapon.

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2017 Homicide Data

September 2019 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2017 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics

States with Higher Gun Ownership and Weak Gun Laws Lead Nation in Suicide While States with Lower Gun Ownership and Strong Gun Laws Have Lowest Suicide Rates

September 2019 ─ Released during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, this report presents overall suicide as well as gun suicides rates state by state, revealing the decisive role played by firearms in suicide attempts. The analysis identified the three states with the highest and lowest overall suicide rates in 2017 and included for each state its gun suicide rate, total number of suicides and gun suicides, percentage of suicides that involved a gun, and household gun ownership.
Social Media Graphics

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use

July 2019 ─ Using unpublished 2016 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this annual study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Social Media Graphics
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Silencers: A Threat to Public Safety

July 2019 ─ This study details the push by the firearms industry and gun lobby to make it far easier for private citizens to buy and possess firearm silencers and the threat this effort poses to law enforcement and public safety (including numerous examples of lethal attacks and criminal activity involving silencers).
Press Release

Data Collection in California in Support of Violence Prevention: Strengths, Limitations, and Opportunities

June 2019 ─ This report, available in both English and Spanish, presents in-depth interviews with California experts on ways that data collection in the state can be improved, especially in terms of better identifying race and ethnicity and integrating different data sets to improve their utility to offer a more complete picture of the full impact of gun death and injury on residents and aid violence-prevention efforts.
Press Release | Español
Social Media Graphics

Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2016 Homicide Data

May 2019 ─ This annual study examines black homicide victimization at the state level utilizing unpublished 2016 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study ranks the states by their rates of black homicide victimization and offers additional information for the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Gun Violence in the Great Lakes States

April 2019 ─ This study offers an overview of lethal gun violence in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Drawing from relevant VPC publications published in 2018 as well as additional information, for each state the study provides information on overall gun deaths, homicides, suicides, black homicide victimization, females killed by males in the context of lethal domestic violence, and examples of non-self defense killings involving concealed handgun permit holders.
Press Release

Lethal Hispanic/Latino Firearm Victimization in California

February 2019 ─ This study details the disproportionate impact of lethal gun violence (suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths) on Hispanics/Latinos in California using data from 2016 as well as historical information. It presents interviews with California experts on ways that data collection in the state can be improved. The study also includes lethal gun violence information for other races/ethnicities in California and contains numerous historic tables detailing firearm mortality among them.
Press Release | Español
Click here for English and Spanish language versions of the study, its key findings and recommendations, and related materials
Social media graphics (English)
Social media graphics (Spanish)

States with Weak Gun Laws and Higher Gun Ownership Lead Nation in Gun Deaths, New Data for 2017 Confirms

January 2019 ─ Using 2017 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the highest overall gun death rates in the nation are those with weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. The study also shows that states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.

Time Bomb: How the NRA Blocked the Regulation of Black and Smokeless Powder to the Benefit of Its Gun Industry “Corporate Partners” Today

October 2018 ─ This study discusses how the National Rifle Association has worked to block federal regulation of black and smokeless powder, which has been used to construct pipe bombs targeting political figures, the media, and others. The study details how since the 1970s the NRA combated the regulation of these easily available explosives to the benefit of domestic and foreign terrorists. It also details how the NRA’s “corporate partners” benefit financially from the sale of black or smokeless powder.
Press Release

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2016 Homicide Data

September 2018 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2016 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports
Click here for a companion study that focuses on the Great Lakes states

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use

September 2018 ─ Using unpublished 2015 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this annual study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States

June 2018 ─ Published every two years, this study is the largest and most comprehensive national analysis available on murder-suicide in the United States. The study analyzes news reports of murder-suicides for the first six months of 2017 and explains common murder-suicide trends and characteristics. This is the sixth edition of the study published by the VPC.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

The Militarized Marketing of Bushmaster Assault Rifles

April 2018 ─ This study focuses on the militarized imagery and language gun conglomerate Remington Outdoor Company (formerly Freedom Group) uses in the marketing of its Bushmaster brand assault rifles, which have been used in numerous high-profile attacks, including the DC-area sniper shootings and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting.

Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2015 Homicide Data

April 2018 ─ This annual study examines black homicide victimization at the state level utilizing unpublished 2015 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study ranks the states by their rates of black homicide victimization and offers additional information for the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports
Click here for a companion study that focuses on the Great Lakes states

Hispanic Victims of Lethal Firearms Violence in the United States | Español

February 2018 ─ This study reveals the disproportionate impact that lethal firearms violence has on Hispanics in the United States. It presents available information on Hispanic homicide victimization and suicide, the role of firearms in homicides and suicide, and overall gun death figures. The study also provides recommendations to governmental agencies to ensure complete and accurate data collection on Hispanic victims of lethal violence to aid in violence prevention.
Press Release | Español
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Understanding the Smith & Wesson M&P15 Semiautomatic Assault Rifle

February 2018 ─ This report discusses the history and profit motive behind gunmaker Smith & Wesson’s 2006 introduction into the civilian market of its M&P15 AR-15 style semiautomatic assault rifle as well as the company’s financial support of the National Rifle Association. It also offers an overview of the history, military-bred design features, and heightened lethality of assault rifles like the M&P15.

U.S. Gun Death Rate Jumps 17 Percent Since 2008 Supreme Court District of Columbia v. Heller Decision Affirming Right to Own a Handgun for Self-Defense

January 2018 ─ Using 2016 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this publication reveals that gun deaths in the U.S. have jumped 17 percent since the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is a right to keep a handgun in the home for self-defense. Additionally, the analysis shows that states with the highest overall gun death rates in the nation are those with weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. The study also shows that states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2015 Homicide Data

September 2017 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2015 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

The Relationship Between Community Violence and Trauma: How Violence Affects Learning, Health, and Behavior | Español

July 2017 ─ This study provides a foundation of key concepts and research on trauma in the context of gun violence. It explains how communities with prevalent violence are at increased risk for a broad range of negative health and behavior outcomes and seeks to build awareness that the harm inflicted by firearms violence extends beyond physical injuries. The study details three domains–learning and development, mental health and behavior, and chronic illness–where research has consistently linked exposure to violence with negative later life outcomes.
Press Release | Español

The Reality of Self-Defense Gun Use and Concealed Carry

June 2017 ─ Following the 2017 attack at a Congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, pro-gun advocates and some Members of Congress used the shooting as an opportunity to argue for the weakening of federal laws governing the carrying of concealed handguns. This backgrounder reveals that guns are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes and presents VPC research showing that concealed handgun permit holders (of which the shooter was one) have been involved in at least 1,000 non-self defense deaths since 2007.
Press Release

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use | Español

May 2017 ─ Using unpublished 2014 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this annual study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2014 Homicide Data

March 2017 ─ This annual study examines black homicide victimization at the state level utilizing unpublished 2014 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study ranks the states by their rates of black homicide victimization and offers additional information for the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

States with Weak Gun Laws and Higher Gun Ownership Lead Nation in Gun Deaths, New Data for 2015 Confirm

January 2017 ─ Using 2015 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the highest overall gun death rates in the nation are those with weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. The study also shows that states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.

An Analysis of the Decline in Gun Dealers: 1994 to 2016

December 2016 ─ This study offers an overview of the decline in Type 1 Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) holders from 245,628 in 1994 to 56,577 in 2016. The report details gun lobby efforts to try and reverse the decline and offers recommendations to further improve the regulation of gun dealers. The study also acknowledges the progress made in reducing the number of illegitimate gun dealers since the 1992 publication of the VPC’s landmark study More Gun Dealers Than Gas Stations.
Press Release

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2014 Homicide Data

September 2016 ─ This annual study uses unpublished 2014 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look state by state at the rate of females killed by males. Released each year prior to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the study ranks the 10 states with the highest rates of females killed by males. The study also highlights the disproportionate impact of this type of homicide on black women, and discusses laws that help protect women from abusers.
Press Release
Click here for more information including links to previous reports

Understanding the Saiga AK-74 Assault Rifle Used in the Dallas Police Shooting

July 2016 ─ This backgrounder provides information on the Saiga AK-74 assault rifle, the weapon used in the 2016 mass shooting at a rally in Dallas that killed five law enforcement officers. The report also contains information on the design characteristics that define assault weapons and what differentiates them from standard hunting and sporting firearms.

Hispanic Victims of Lethal Firearms Violence in the United States | Español

June 2016 ─ This study reveals the disproportionate impact that lethal firearms violence has on Hispanics in the United States. It presents available information on Hispanic homicide victimization and suicide, the role of firearms in homicides and suicide, and overall gun death figures. The study also provides recommendations to governmental agencies to ensure complete and accurate data collection on Hispanic victims of lethal violence to aid in violence prevention.
Press Release | Español
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Understanding the Sig Sauer MCX Assault Rifle Used in the Orlando Mass Shooting

June 2016 ─ This backgrounder provides information on the Sig Sauer MCX assault rifle, the weapon used in the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay dance club in Orlando, that killed 49 people. The report also contains information on the design characteristics that define assault weapons and what differentiates them from standard hunting and sporting firearms.

Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use

April 2016 ─ Using unpublished 2013 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as information from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this annual study reveals how rarely guns are used by private citizens to kill criminals or stop crimes.
Press Release
Fact Sheet
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Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2013 Homicide Data

March 2016 ─ This annual study examines black homicide victimization at the state level utilizing unpublished 2013 Supplementary Homicide Report data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study ranks the states by their rates of black homicide victimization and offers additional information for the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates.
Press Release
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“Start Them Young” — How the Firearms Industry and Gun Lobby Are Targeting Your Children

February 2016 ─ This major study reveals how the gun industry, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF, the trade association for the firearms industry), and the National Rifle Association are working to recruit children as young as grade-school age into the gun culture for financial and political gain.
Press Release

Gun Deaths Outpace Motor Vehicle Deaths in 21 States and the District of Columbia in 2014

January 2016 ─ This study examines how in 2014, 21 states and the District of Columbia recorded more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths. The report explains that while health and safety regulation has reduced traffic fatalities, guns are uniquely exempt from such regulatory standards under federal law.. This is the fifth edition of the VPC report comparing gun deaths to motor vehicle deaths by state.
Press Release

States with Weak Gun Laws and Higher Gun Ownership Lead Nation in Gun Deaths, New Data for 2014 Confirms

January 2016 ─ Using 2014 mortality data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this annual publication reveals that states with the highest overall gun death rates in the nation are those with weaker gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. The study also shows that states with the lowest overall gun death rates have some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the nation and lower rates of gun ownership.

Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2013 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24 | Español

November 2015 ─ This study offers detailed information on California homicide victims ages 10 to 24 and ranks each county in California by its homicide victimization rate for this age group. The offers information on sex, race, ethnicity, weapon type, victim to offender relationship, circumstances, location, as well additional data.
Press Release | Español
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American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States