In the wake of every mass shooting, there are inevitable calls for tighter gun control as well as calls to put more guns in the hands of ordinary citizens, both in the name of increasing safety and security. These calls reflect a longstanding national debate about gun control generally.
As with data on mass shootings, there is a relative lack of research data on U.S. gun violence generally. This is generally attributed to passage of the "Dickey Amendment" in 1996, which stated that "none of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun control." For a recent summary of this issue, see this article from the New York Times:
Some states have begun separate initiatives to study gun violence, such as California's Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis. Meanwhile, researchers must rely on currently available data.
Government Sources:
While not all homicides involve firearms, some statistics on firearm homicides are available. Links to information about injuries and suicides involving firearms.
Covers weapons use during crime; includes some reports on firearms.
Consult the "Crime in the United States" annual reports for information on weapons use, homicides, and assault.
Data derived ultimately from the National Vital Statistics Reports.
Though not gun-focused, this data does include causes of death, including firearms.
See data under "Deaths."
Report from the Centers for Disease Control.
Other Sources:
All gun violence, including mass shootings, since 2012
This article from BBC news uses data from a variety of sources to provide infographics about U.S. gun ownership, attitudes, and violence.
From the Guardian newspaper in England, an interactive database.
A variety of research articles (all free) about gun use and public opinion.
This particular assertion has its own body of scholarly literature both for and against. It stems from Lott and Mustard's original controversial finding that laws permitting citizens to carry concealed handguns have caused crime to fall.
Rebuts the Lott & Mustard article.
Rebuts Ayres & Donohue.
A review and meta-analysis.
Concludes that right-to-carry laws have no effect, negative or positive, on mass shootings.
June 22, 2015. The answer relies on work by Schildkraut and Elsass, whose works are cited elsewhere in this guide.
Examines the effect of a change to stricter gun control laws in Australia.
Examines whether shooting incidents lead to an increase in gun purchases.
