Gun violence

Gun related violence is violence committed with the use of a gun (firearm or small arm). Gun related violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal, includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable), assault with a deadly weapon, and suicide, or attempted suicide, depending on jurisdiction. Non-criminal violence may include accidental or unintentional injury and death. Included in this subject are statistics regarding military or para-military activities, as well as the actions of civilians.

According to GunPolicy.org, 75 percent of the world's 875 million guns are civilian controlled. Globally, millions are wounded through the use of guns. Assault by firearm resulted in 180,000 deaths in 2013 up from 128,000 deaths in 1990. There were additionally 47,000 unintentional firearm related deaths in 2013.

Levels of gun related violence vary greatly among geographical regions, countries, and even subnationally. The United States has the highest rate of gun related deaths per capita among developed countries, though it also has the highest rate of gun ownership and the highest rate of officers. Many studies have found a positive association between gun ownership and gun-related homicide and suicide rates.

Gun control is a very controversial topic in the United States of America today. Gun control is defined as “Laws or policies that regulate within a jurisdiction the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians”. (The Simple Truth About Gun Control). Often, the Second Amendment is referenced by those both in favor and against gun control because while guns have played an integral role in America's history, they have also caused much destruction. Due to recent mass shootings in the United States in schools, movie theaters, night clubs, etc. this issue has come to the forefront of many political and everyday debates.

According to the United Nations, Deaths from small firearms exceed that of all other weapons combined, and more die each year from gun related violence than did in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The global death toll from use of guns may number as high as 1,000 dead each day.

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