News Focus
News Focus
icon url

wall_rus

03/01/09 7:03 PM

#411493 RE: Alex G #411485

"the more guns that are out there, the more people get shot"

That doesn't seem to be the case, Alex.

Canada has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world.

A national survey commissioned by the Canadian Firearms Centre in 2000 found an estimated 2.3 million firearm owners.

More than 1,000 Canadians die every year from gunshot wounds, most of them by their own hand. In 1996 the total firearm deaths amounted to 1,131, of which 815 were suicides, 45 were accidents and 156 were homicides.

The violent crime rate has been steadily declining in Canada over the last two decades, and progressively fewer crimes are being committed with firearms. In 1978, Canada recorded 661 homicides, a rate of 2.76 per 100,000. Of these, 250, or 37.8%, were committed with guns. In 1998, Canada had 555 homicides, a rate of 1.83 per 100,000. Guns were involved in 151 of the homicides, 27% of the total, the lowest proportion since statistics were first collected in 1961. Robberies using firearms accounted for 18% of all such crimes in 1998, down from 25% in 1988 and 37% in 1978.
icon url

benzdealeror2

03/01/09 7:04 PM

#411494 RE: Alex G #411485

Understood.