Gun Violence in Arizona
In 2015, the state of Arizona received two number one rankings related to gun ownership. While Guns and Ammo magazine ranked Arizona as the best state for gun owners, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence also called Arizona the best state for criminals to get access to guns. Understanding how these rankings relate to gun violence is a step toward understanding the rates of gun-related crimes and deaths in the state, particularly when compared to the rest of the nation.
Gun-Related Deaths in Arizona
A recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on firearms-death statistics noted 933 firearms-related deaths in the state of Arizona in 2010. Over the course of a calendar year, this number is equivalent to just over two and a half gun-related deaths each day. However, the deaths reported by the CDC included suicides, accidental shootings, and law enforcement-related shootings—when considering gun-related violence in Arizona, the CDC reported 271 firearms-related homicides in the state during 2010, equating to 0.74 gun-related deaths per day over the course of a year.
Arizona Gun Violence and the National Average
A Kaiser Family Foundation study found the gun-death rate in Arizona to be 14.6 deaths per 100,000 individuals in the state. When compared with the rest of the United States, Arizona ranks eighth-worst in the country in terms of gun violence and gun-related deaths, as compared with the national average of 10.1 gun-related deaths per 100,000 individuals.
While Arizona maintains relatively lenient gun ownership regulations, the consequences for a conviction related to a gun crime can affect your right to own a gun in the future. If you are facing legal action associated with gun-related crime, it’s essential to contact an experienced criminal attorney for the legal representation you deserve. You can reach the law office of Janet Altschuler, Attorney at Law by phone at (520) 247-1789 for the legal help you need today, or click through our website for more information about Arizona gun laws and their consequences.