Gun Violence in South Carolina: What You Need to Know

The frequency of gun violence in the United States and globally has created a media frenzy.  Targets have ranged from personal, to random to law enforcement with lives lost reaching unspeakable numbers.  The social declaration of #PrayFor has become a part of our daily digital worship.

Throughout the United States a growing sense of fear and unrest has been pitted into our subconscious forcing us to question our choices in establishments to frequent and interactions with strangers.

Just how bad is the gun violence in our home state of South Carolina and around the United States?

Gun Violence Archive has compiled data made up of 1500 sources updated July 27th, 2016.

The mission of GVA:

Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is a not for profit corporation formed in 2013 to provide online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States. GVA will collect and check for accuracy, comprehensive information about gun-related violence in the U.S. and then post and disseminate it online, primarily if not exclusively on this website and summary ledgers at www.facebook.com/gunviolencearchive. It is hoped that this information will inform and assist those engaged in discussions and activities concerning gun violence, including analysis of proposed regulations or legislation relating to gun safety usage.

GVA is not, by design an advocacy group. The mission of GVA is to document incidents of gun violence and gun crime nationally to provide independent, verified data to those who need to use it in their research, advocacy or writing.

These charts outline the current data for 2016 as well as archived statistics for 2014 and 2015.

2016 Gun Violence Statistics

Frequency of Incidents in 2016 by State

Comparisons of national data for 2014 and 2015:

According to The Guardian, 89 out of 100 Americans owns a firearm compared to 6 out of 100 in England and Wales.

South Carolina Data

In 2014, South Carolina had the 10th worst firearm mortality rate in the United States with 15.5 deaths per population of 100,000.

In 2011, South Carolina was ranked 15th in raw firearm deaths with 223 of the 8583 in the United States.  70% of all murders in the state that year were a result of a firearm.  In 2014, 764 deaths in the state were by the use of a firearm.

The top 10 worst states  in firearm death rate in 2014 were:

• Louisiana – 18.9
• Alaska – 18.8
• Mississippi – 18.0
• Alabama – 16.7
• Arkansas – 16.4
• Wyoming – 16.0
• Montana – 15.8
• New Mexico – 15.8
• Oklahoma – 15.6
• South Carolina – 15.5

Source:  http://wonder.cdc.gov

We have a civil obligation to raise a voice an be heard.  Strength is in action, example and unity.