If you only watch the nightly news, you'd think the entire country is essentially a giant action movie set. It’s scary. Every headline seems to scream about a new tragedy, and honestly, it’s enough to make anyone want to lock their doors and never come out. But if we actually sit down and look at the hard data for 2026, the reality of gun violence rates in the us is a lot more complicated than a 30-second news clip.
Things are changing. Not always for the better, but definitely in ways that might surprise you.
For starters, did you know that for the last few years, the number of people dying from gun homicides has actually been dropping? It’s true. After that massive, terrifying spike we saw during the pandemic years, the numbers have started to slide back down. In 2025, the U.S. recorded roughly 38,762 gun-related deaths. That's still a massive, heartbreaking number—more than 100 people a day—but it’s a significant dip from the peaks of 2021.
But here’s the kicker: while homicides are down, suicides are not. They’re basically at an all-time high. It’s this weird, tragic see-saw where one side of the problem is finally improving while the other side is quietly getting worse.
The Massive Regional Divide: It’s Not One America
We talk about "national rates" like they mean something to the average person, but living in Burlington, Vermont, is a world away from living in Jackson, Mississippi, when it comes to safety.
The geography of gun violence rates in the us is wild. It's not just "red state vs. blue state," though politics definitely plays a role in the laws. It’s about poverty, it’s about rural isolation, and it’s about how easy it is to get a weapon in a moment of crisis.
In 2024 and 2025, states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico consistently sat at the top of the charts for firearm mortality. Mississippi’s rate was recently clocked at 28.1 deaths per 100,000 people. Compare that to Hawaii or Massachusetts, where the rate is closer to 3.8 or 4.0. You’re literally seven times more likely to die by a gun in some parts of the South than in the Northeast.
📖 Related: Snow This Weekend Boston: Why the Forecast Is Making Meteorologists Nervous
Why the South and Mountain West?
Experts like those at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions point to a "toxic mix" of factors. You've got high rates of gun ownership combined with what they call "permissive" laws—things like permitless carry or a lack of waiting periods.
But it’s also economic.
Areas with high poverty and low investment in community resources always see more violence. It’s not a mystery. When people feel they have no future and no support, conflict escalates.
The Suicide Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
Everyone focuses on mass shootings. I get it. They are visceral and terrifying. But mass shootings actually accounted for less than 3% of gun deaths in 2025.
The real "epidemic" is happening behind closed doors.
Roughly 60% of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Think about that. Most of the time, when a gun is used to kill someone in this country, the person pulling the trigger is also the victim. In 2025, firearm suicides reached nearly 28,000—the highest on record.
There’s a common myth that "if someone wants to kill themselves, they’ll find a way."
Actually, the data says otherwise.
A gun is uniquely lethal. About 85% of suicide attempts with a gun are "successful." With other methods, that number drops below 5%. Most people who survive a suicide attempt don't try again. If you take the gun out of the equation during a 10-minute crisis, you literally save a life. It’s that simple.
👉 See also: Removing the Department of Education: What Really Happened with the Plan to Shutter the Agency
The "Good News" (Sorta)
Look, I know this is heavy. But we have to talk about the 2025 dip.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings dropped significantly last year. We went from over 600 incidents in 2023 to about 407 in 2025. Still way too many? Absolutely. But it’s a 40% decrease from the record-setting madness of 2021.
Big cities are leading this charge.
Philadelphia, which was struggling big time a few years ago, saw a nearly 40% drop in gun homicides in 2024. New York and Los Angeles saw double-digit decreases too.
Why? It’s probably a mix of things:
- Community Violence Intervention (CVI): Programs that use "violence interrupters"—people from the neighborhood who talk people down before they shoot—are finally getting real funding.
- Post-Pandemic Stability: The world isn't as "on edge" as it was in 2020.
- Targeted Policing: Not just "arrest everyone," but focusing on the very small number of people actually driving the violence.
What Most People Miss About Gun Sales
You’d think with all the talk about new laws, gun sales would be skyrocketing. Actually, they’ve been dipping.
In 2025, about 14.7 million guns were sold. That’s a lot, sure, but it’s a 4% drop from the year before and way down from the 2020 boom. People aren't panic-buying quite as much. Interestingly, in states that passed stricter background check laws, we’re seeing a correlation with lower homicide rates over time.
The "Safe Storage" Factor
If you’re a gun owner, this is where you can actually make a difference tomorrow.
About 4,400 kids and teens were killed or injured by guns in 2025. Many of those were accidental—a kid finding a loaded handgun in a nightstand.
✨ Don't miss: Quién ganó para presidente en USA: Lo que realmente pasó y lo que viene ahora
States that have passed Child Access Prevention laws see immediate drops in these tragedies. It’s not about taking guns away; it’s about a $20 trigger lock. Honestly, it’s the lowest-hanging fruit in this whole debate.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If you're looking for a way to actually impact gun violence rates in the us, it’s not about waiting for a massive federal law that might never come.
The movement is happening at the state and local level.
- Look into ERPOs: "Red Flag" laws (Extreme Risk Protection Orders) allow families to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns from a loved one in a mental health crisis. They work.
- Support CVI: Check if your city has a Community Violence Intervention program. They often need volunteers or local funding.
- Secure Storage: If you have a weapon, buy a safe. It prevents accidents and it prevents your gun from being stolen and sold on the black market (which happens to about 380,000 guns every year).
The numbers for 2026 show that while the U.S. remains a massive outlier among wealthy nations, we aren't stuck in a permanent upward spiral. Violence is a problem that can be managed with the right resources and a bit of common sense.
The first step is just looking at the real numbers, not just the scary headlines.
Next Steps for Action:
Check the specific gun mortality rate for your state using the CDC's WONDER database to understand your local risk. If you live in a high-risk area, look for local organizations implementing Community Violence Intervention (CVI) models, as these have shown the most immediate impact on urban homicide rates. Finally, if you are a firearm owner, ensure your equipment is stored in a biometric or high-grade safe to prevent theft—car-based gun thefts are currently one of the fastest-growing sources of illegal weapons in the country.