US gun violence falls dramatically Surprisingly, NBC News reported on Sept 11 that “gun violence in America has fallen dramatically over the past two decades, and the number of murders committed with a firearm is down too.”
Murders committed with a gun dropped 39% to 11,101 in 2011, from a high of 18,253 in 1993, according to the report. Other crimes committed with guns were down even more sharply— from 1.53 million in 1993 to 467,300 in 2011, a drop of 70%, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
As for where crime guns came from, the study says less than 2% of convicted inmates reported buying their weapons at gun shows or flea markets. The highest number, 40%, said the guns came from a family member or a friend. About 37% said the weapons were stolen or obtained from an illegal source. The rest say the guns were bought at a retail store or pawn shop.
