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As the public debate over extending background checks for gun purchases unfolded last week, I saw a statement on Facebook that knives are used more than guns each year in homicides. That didn’t ring true, so I did some research. The statistics below are from the FBI’s website. Go here to see them for yourself. To see the whole list below at once, use the drop-down menu and select “Show 25 entries.” (There are only 20 rows, so that’s all you’ll see.)
It still seems reasonable to me to require a background check when someone wants to purchase a gun. It’s not a cure-all measure, and it won’t stop someone hellbent on homicide, but it could deter some people and slow others down. A reported 90 percent of Americans see this as a common-sense step. How about you? (Thoughtful comments are welcome. Thoughtful rants, even. But nothing outside the borders of good taste!)
| Homicide Victims by Weapon, 2007-2011 | |||||
| Weapons | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Total | 14,916 | 14,224 | 13,752 | 13,164 | 12,664 |
| Total firearms: | 10,129 | 9,528 | 9,199 | 8,874 | 8,583 |
| Handguns | 7,398 | 6,800 | 6,501 | 6,115 | 6,220 |
| Rifles | 453 | 380 | 351 | 367 | 323 |
| Shotguns | 457 | 442 | 423 | 366 | 356 |
| Other guns | 116 | 81 | 96 | 93 | 97 |
| Firearms, type not stated | 1,705 | 1,825 | 1,828 | 1,933 | 1,587 |
| Knives or cutting instruments | 1,817 | 1,888 | 1,836 | 1,732 | 1,694 |
| Blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.) | 647 | 603 | 623 | 549 | 496 |
| Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)1 | 869 | 875 | 817 | 769 | 728 |
| Poison | 10 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 5 |
| Explosives | 1 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Fire | 131 | 85 | 98 | 78 | 75 |
| Narcotics | 52 | 34 | 52 | 45 | 29 |
| Drowning | 12 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| Strangulation | 134 | 89 | 122 | 122 | 85 |
| Asphyxiation | 109 | 87 | 84 | 98 | 89 |
| Other weapons or weapons not stated | 1,005 | 999 | 904 | 872 | 853 |
| 1 Pushed is included in personal weapons. |
