FBI Data Shows Rifles Responsible for 1.55 Percent of Homicides
In the wake of the WA State Senate passing an 'assault' weapons ban, FBI crime data is being shared by numerous law enforcement agencies.
FBI Crime data shows less than 2 percent of homicides involve a rifle
The WA State Senate late last week passed the so-called 'assault' weapons ban, despite the term being misleading. Most experts consider automatic weapons to be assault, not semi-automatic. Semi-automatics require a pull of the trigger each time a person wishes to fire.
The Senate passed HB (house bill) 1240 which came over from the junior chamber, it basically prohibits the sale (once it becomes law if it does) of well over 50 different semi-automatic weapons, most of them similar to the AR-15. From our earlier report:
"Prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, or offer for sale of any assault weapon, subject to various exceptions for licensed firearm manufacturers and dealers, and for individuals who inherit an assault weapon"
Existing owners of such weapons would not be affected. However, numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Walla Walla County Sheriff's office, have shared FBI crime data, showing percentages of weapons used in homicides between 2015 and 2019.
The FBI data shows about 1.55 percent of firearm-related deaths involved the use of a "rifle" or 'AR-15' type of weapon. In 2019, 364 out of 13,927 homicides involved the use of a rifle. Of those 13,927 total homicides, 10,258 involved the use of a firearm.
Also, overall firearm use in homicides dropped from over 11,000 in 2017 to the 2019 level of 10,258.
It's interesting to note some of the other methods used to commit homicides listed in the FBI report for 2019:
- personal weapons (hands, feet, etc) 600
- knives or cutting instruments 1.476
- blunt objects (clubs, hammers etc) 397
- poison and narcotics (combined) 109
There were even 3 homicides in the data for 2019 involving the use of explosives to commit murder.
To see the FBI crime data, click here.
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