According to a study released on Tuesday, one in five American adults has a relative who was killed by a gun — even by suicide — and a comparable percentage indicated they have been threatened with one.
According to a survey conducted by the health research organization KFF and released, gun-related violence, including suicides, accidents, and mass shootings, has become so prevalent in the US that 84 percent of US adults say they have taken steps to protect their families and themselves from the risk of being shot.
Due to the potential for gun violence, more than one third of those polled stated they avoided big crowds. To protect themselves and their family, about 29 percent of people have purchased firearms.
The information was made public one day after the most recent nationwide shooting, which left five people dead at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the victims, according to governor Andy Beshear, was “an incredible friend” of his.
Craig Greenberg, the mayor of Louisville, described how he was shot at while running for office last year.
Three kids and three adults were shot and killed on March 27 at a primary school in Nashville, Tennessee.
11,631 individuals have been killed by guns thus far in 2023, including 4,965 homicides, accidents, and instances of defensive gun usage, and 6,666 suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
According to the group, homicide, unintentional, or defensive gunshots claimed the lives of 20,249 persons in 2022. More than 24,000 people killed themselves with firearms.
According to KFF, 41% of American adults reside in homes with guns, and in 44% of those homes, the gun is kept in an unlocked position.
More Black and Hispanic Americans than White Americans reported knowing someone who had been shot and feeling generally endangered by gun violence.
According to the survey, three out of ten Black individuals had witnessed someone shot in person, which is more than twice the rate for white persons.
Based on a poll of 1,271 persons conducted in the middle of March, KFF’s data.
