| (CNSNews.com) – The 2018 homicide data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows that more people were murdered with knives (1,515) and “blunt objects” such as hammers (443) than with rifles (297). The numbers also show that fewer people were killed with shotguns (235) than with knives or blunt objects. However, the vast majority of homicides (6,603) were committed with handguns. The FBI crime statistics show that 10,265 murders were committed by firearms, all types, in 2018: 6,603 murders by handguns; 297 by rifles; 235 by shotguns; 167 by “other guns”; and 2,963 by “firearms, type not stated.” Expanded Homicide Data Table 8 Murder Victims
by Weapon, 2014–2018 | Weapons | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
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| Total | 12,278 | 13,780 | 15,318 | 15,195 | 14,123 |
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| Total firearms: | 7,803 | 9,103 | 10,372 | 11,006 | 10,265 |
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| Handguns | 5,342 | 6,176 | 6,762 | 7,051 | 6,603 |
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| Rifles | 235 | 215 | 300 | 390 | 297 |
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| Shotguns | 238 | 247 | 247 | 264 | 235 |
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| Other guns | 88 | 151 | 172 | 180 | 167 |
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| Firearms, type not stated | 1,900 | 2,314 | 2,891 | 3,121 | 2,963 |
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| Knives or cutting instruments | 1,545 | 1,525 | 1,558 | 1,609 | 1,515 |
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| Blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.) | 431 | 436 | 464 | 472 | 443 |
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| Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)1 | 668 | 647 | 664 | 710 | 672 |
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| Poison | 9 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 5 |
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| Explosives | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
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| Fire | 55 | 63 | 78 | 96 | 72 |
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| Narcotics | 70 | 69 | 118 | 110 | 78 |
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| Drowning | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
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| Strangulation | 84 | 96 | 97 | 89 | 70 |
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| Asphyxiation | 93 | 105 | 92 | 111 | 90 |
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| Other weapons or weapons not stated | 1,502 | 1,715 | 1,853 | 969 | 900 |
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- 1 Pushed is included in personal weapons.
- NOTE: The Uniform Crime Reporting Technical Refresh enables updating of prior years' crime data; therefore, data presented in this table may not match previously published data.
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While there were 1,515 homicides by “knives or cutting instruments” in 2018, there were 1,698 knife murders in 2017, 1,558 in 2016, and 1,525 in 2015. Five people were murdered by poison in 2018; four by explosives; 72 by fire; 78 by narcotics (homicides); nine by drowning; 70 by strangulation; and 90 by asphyxiation. Another 900 people were killed by “other weapons or weapons not stated.” According to a Pew research report, “protection tops the list of reasons why gun owners have a gun…. Two-thirds of gun owners (67%) say this as a major reason why they own a firearm.” The study also said that “regardless of whether they live in an urban, suburban or rural area, Americans are much more likely to cite protection than other considerations as a major reason for owning a gun.” Rifle such as the AR-15, which looks like some of the long guns you see in military or action movies, are usually set up to fire 223 Remington ammo or 5.56 mm NATO ammo. Gun control advocates and many Democratic politicians want to ban the AR-15. “Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” presidential contender Beta O'Rourke said during a debate. |
