Fact Check: "Gun homicides fell nearly 9% from 2022, but remain near-record levels."
What We Know
According to a recent report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, total gun homicides in the United States decreased from 19,651 in 2022 to 17,927 in 2023, representing a decline of nearly 9%. Despite this reduction, the report emphasizes that gun homicides remain at near-record levels, marking the fifth-highest total recorded in U.S. history. The report is based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and highlights that gun-related deaths overall reached 46,728 in 2023, with gun suicides accounting for 58% of these fatalities, which also reached record highs.
Additionally, the CDC's provisional data corroborates these findings, indicating an 8.6% decrease in gun homicides from the previous year, while noting that gun deaths overall remain alarmingly high, with nearly 47,000 lives lost in a single year (source-2).
Analysis
The claim that gun homicides fell nearly 9% from 2022 is supported by multiple credible sources, including the Johns Hopkins report and CDC data. Both sources provide consistent figures that confirm the decline in gun homicides, which is a significant statistic in the context of ongoing discussions about gun violence in the U.S.
However, the assertion that gun homicides remain near-record levels is also substantiated. The report notes that the total for 2023 is the fifth-highest on record, indicating that while there has been a decrease, the overall situation remains critical. The CDC's data further emphasizes that gun violence continues to be a major public health issue, with gun deaths still at historically high levels (source-2).
Both the Johns Hopkins report and the CDC data are reliable, as they are based on official statistics and peer-reviewed research. The credibility of these sources is bolstered by their association with reputable institutions dedicated to public health and gun violence prevention.
Conclusion
The claim that "gun homicides fell nearly 9% from 2022, but remain near-record levels" is True. The evidence from multiple authoritative sources confirms both the decrease in gun homicides and the ongoing severity of gun violence in the United States. While the decline is a positive development, the near-record levels indicate that significant challenges remain in addressing gun violence effectively.
