More Americans have died in the past 50 years of gunshot wounds than in every U.S. war combined
America has a gun problem, and the solution to that problem is up to fair debate. But there is no denying that in the past 50 years, guns have killed more people than have died in every single U.S. war — combined.
According to Vox's research, which could only find reliable data back to 1968, about 1.49 million Americans have died of gunshot wounds since Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. By comparison, only about 1.17 million people have died in combat since the U.S. was founded, with more Americans dying from guns during the years of the Obama administration than all the Americans in World War I.
Of the approximately 33,000 deaths a year, most are suicides, although an entire 11,000 a year are homicides. Mass shootings, such as the one in Orlando, are also on the rise.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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