Of the 30,470 firearm-related deaths in the United States in 2010, 19,392 (63.6%) were suicide deaths, and 11,078 (36.4%) homicide deaths.[8] Source
- Of the murders for which the circumstance surrounding the murder was known, 41.8 percent of victims were murdered during arguments (including romantic triangles) in2010. Felony circumstances (rape, robbery, burglary, etc.) accounted for 23.1 percent of murders. Circumstances were unknown for 35.8 percent of reported homicides. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 12.)
- Law enforcement reported 665 justifiable homicides in 2010. Of those, law enforcement officers justifiably killed 387 felons, and private citizens justifiably killed 278 people during the commission of a crime. (See ExpandedHomicide Data Table 14 and 15.)
- Handguns comprised 68.5 percent of the firearms used in murders and non negligent manslaughter in 2010 Source
Breakdown of murder from 200-1010:
- 111,289 Firearm
- 20,503 Knife
- 11,364 Other
- 10,079 Personal weapons
- 7,049 Blunt object
- 1,536 Strangulation
- 1,342 Fire
- 1,225 Asphyxiation
- 638 Drugs
- 239 Drowning
- 130 Poison
- 53 Explosives
- 35 Pushed/thrown out window Source
| Other Arguments |
23,970
|
| Other |
11,548
|
| Robbery |
8,117
|
| Juvenile Gang Killings |
7,878
|
| Narcotic Drug Laws |
5,468
|
| Felon killed by police |
4,050
|
| Other – not specified |
2,841
|
| Felon killed by a private citizen |
2,084
|
| Argument Over Money or Property |
1,472
|
| Gangland Killings |
1,089
|
| Lover’s Triangle |
768
|
| Brawl Due to Influence of Alcohol |
654
|
| All suspected felony type |
592
|
| Burglary |
582
|
| Brawl Due to Influence of Narcotics |
569
|
| Motor Vehicle Theft |
130
|
| Larceny |
110
|
| Gambling |
60
|
| Sniper Attack |
39
|
| Rape |
36
|
| Arson |
35
|
| Prostitution and Commercialized Vice |
28
|
| Other Sex Offense |
12
|
| Institutional Killings |
5
|
| Child Killed by Babysitter |
5
|
| Abortion |
1
|
Justified Homicides (Felon killed by police)
Justified Homicides (Felon killed by a private citizen)
Despite increases in gun sales, gun crimes continued to decrease in the United States for the fourth straight year in 2010, according to the FBI.
The FBI recently released its Crime in The United States statistics for 2010. Overall, murders in the U.S. have decreased steadily since 2006, dropping from 15,087 to 12,996. Firearms murders — which made up 67 percent of all murders in the U.S. in 2010 — have followed this trend, decreasing by 14 percent.
At the same time that firearms murders were dropping, gun sales were surging. In 2009, FBI background checks for guns increased by 30 percent over the previous year, while firearms sales in large retail outlets increased by almost 40 percent. The number of applications for concealed carry permits jumped across the country as well.
