The U.S. witnessed a decline in the rate of firearm-related homicides in 2022, marking a shift after consistent increases in previous years. This information was released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.
The national firearm homicide rate experienced its first drop since a notable surge between 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic. The rate had jumped by approximately 35% from 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019 to 5.8 in 2020. This rate further escalated in 2021, reaching 6.3 deaths per 100,000 people. However, provisional data for 2022 indicates a rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people, marking a 6% decrease from the previous year. Despite this decline, the 2022 rate remains considerably higher than the 2019 figures.
The CDC data also highlighted persistent racial disparities. Non-Hispanic Black or African American individuals consistently reported the highest firearm homicide rates. The 2022 rate for this demographic was 27.5, a decrease from 30.4 in 2021 but still significantly higher than the 20.5 rate in 2019.
The firearm homicide rate for American Indian or Alaska Native individuals increased in 2022 to 9.3 deaths per 100,000, surpassing the rates from both 2021 (7.7) and 2020 (7.9). This was the only ethnic group to witness a rise in 2022.
The CDC report suggests that the heightened firearm-related homicide rates can be attributed to various factors, including economic, social, and health-care-related disparities, all exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report also offers potential solutions, emphasizing the importance of policies and programs that promote economic and housing security, community outreach, violence interruption programs, and initiatives to ensure secure firearm storage.
The White House acknowledged the report, emphasizing the need for further gun violence prevention measures. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre highlighted the disproportionate impact of gun violence on communities of color, particularly Black Americans.
In response to the ongoing gun violence crisis, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law last year. This legislation, the most significant in addressing gun violence since 1994, allocates $750 million for states to implement crisis intervention programs, including red flag programs and other crisis intervention initiatives.