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Trends in Justifiable Homicides, United States , 1988–2013 SOURCES: FBI, UCR, 1988–2013. Unfortunately, the data may not be reliable because of incomplete participation by police depart- ments and inadequate record-keeping by depart- ments that do take part in the annual body count. Investigative reporters uncovered more than 550 police-involved killings between 2007 and 2012 that […]

Victims might lose shootouts against better armed, more ruthless opponents In gun battles with armed offenders, victims probably lose more often than they win, skeptics believe. In some confrontations, attackers may wrest the gun away and shoot victims with their own weapons—this even happens to well-trained, physically fit police officers. In many other con- frontations,

People who own guns for protection might turn their weapons on themselves Impulsive suicides in moments of despair are disturbingly common. Suicides by gunfire outnum- ber gun murders each year (Miller and Hemenway, 2008). In 2011, just about 20,000 people ended their lives with firearms. Murderers dispatched about 11,000 individuals using bullets that year (CDC,

Introducing a gun into a conflict is likely to lead to an escalation of hostilities Critics believe that carrying around a deadly weapon increases the likelihood that a minor argu- ment will turn into a life-threatening showdown. The chances of a needless tragedy breaking out are heightened when gun owners are tired, fright- ened, intoxicated,

Getting a gun for protection actually puts its owner in greater danger Although many people conjure up fantasies about how drawing a gun will save them, the real- ity is that gunfire is more likely to claim an inno- cent life or their own. Owning a firearm for personal safety could actually heighten risks and

Very few victims draw a weapon in their own defense when under attack. One of the most controversial aspects of using a gun as a means of protection concerns how often it actually happens. How many persons under attack draw their own weapons and fight back? Advocates of guns for self-protection routinely circulate claims that

There are far too many guns in circulation already. Fur- ther production and purchases by fearful people should be discouraged and restricted in order to improve public safety. Estimates differ over how many guns are in the hands of private citizens (excluding members of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies) and how many people

Arguments Advanced by Proponents of Arming for Self-Protection 1) Reaching for a gun can save a victim’s life Gun ownership advocates consider keeping a firearm at home or at work (especially in stores) as well as routinely carrying around a legally registered concealed handgun to be a rational and reasonable means of protecting an individual

What Armed Citizens Under Attack Must Consider Before Pulling the Trigger Some issues that armed citizens who find themselves under attack must grapple with before they open fire were raised in a book review in the official publication of the National Rifle Association: 1) Be reasonable In all states, a claim of self-defense in the

Would Victims Be Better Off if They Were Armed? People buy firearms for a number of reasons: to collect them, to use them for target practice and sport shooting, to hunt game, and for self- protection. Gun culture is deeply rooted in the American experience, beginning with the day the first settlers arrived to clear