Fact check: Compare violent gun related deaths 1994 to 2024

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided do not offer a direct comparison of violent gun-related deaths between 1994 and 2024 ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. However, key statistics on gun-related deaths are available for recent years: in 2023, there were 46,728 gun-related deaths, with 58% being suicides and 38% being murders ^[1]. The gun death rate in 2023 was 13.7 per 100,000 people, which is down from 14.2 per 100,000 in 2022 and 14.6 per 100,000 in 2021 ^[1]. Additionally, nonfatal firearm violence victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older declined from 7.4 in 1994 to 1.1 in 2015 ^[2]. The firearm homicide rate among persons age 12 or older also declined from 1993 to 2014 before rising from 2019 to 2021 ^[2]. An estimated 3.8K people died from gun-related injuries in August 2024, with 55% of all gun-related deaths being suicides in 2023 ^[7].

• Gun death rates have fluctuated over the years, with the rate in 2023 being 8% lower than the peak in 1993 ^[7].
• State gun laws may impact gun deaths, with studies finding that firearm deaths of children and teenagers rose significantly in states that enacted more permissive gun laws ^{[4] [5]}.
• Gun violence is a significant public health concern, with guns being the leading cause of death of kids and teens ^{[5] [6]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• Historical data for 1994 is not provided in the analyses, making a direct comparison to 2024 challenging ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.
• Alternative viewpoints on the impact of state gun laws are not fully explored in the analyses, with some studies suggesting that more permissive laws may lead to increased gun deaths ^{[4] [5]}.
• The role of mental health and socioeconomic factors in gun-related deaths is not discussed in the analyses, which may provide additional context for understanding the issue ^{[1] [2] [7]}.
• International comparisons of gun death rates are not provided in the analyses, which could offer a broader perspective on the issue ^[1].
• The effectiveness of current gun policies and laws in reducing gun-related deaths is not evaluated in the analyses, which is crucial for informing policy decisions ^{[3] [1] [4]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading due to the lack of direct comparison between 1994 and 2024, which could lead to inaccurate conclusions about trends in gun-related deaths ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.

• Gun rights advocates may benefit from the lack of historical data, as it makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of past gun policies and laws ^{[3] [1]}.
• Gun control advocates may benefit from the emphasis on recent gun death rates, which could be used to argue for stricter gun laws and policies ^{[1] [7] [5]}.
• The general public may be misled by the lack of context and alternative viewpoints, which could lead to a limited understanding of the complex issue of gun violence ^{[1] [2] [7] [3] [4] [5] [6]}.