Do handguns kill more people than assault rifles in the United States?

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump by a man armed with an AR-15, calls to ban assault rifles are growing. The spokesperson for Republicans Overseas in France assures that these weapons kill fewer people than pistols in the United States. That’s true, but gun violence remains endemic in the country.

The United States is still reeling from the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last weekend. A bullet from an AR-15, a very popular rifle in the country, hit the former president in the ear and grazed his face, slightly injuring him. An event that of course revives the debate on banning these weapons, very similar to assault rifles in the United States. But according to Nicolas Conquer, the spokesperson for Republicans Overseas in France, these weapons kill far fewer people than pistols.

Nearly 60% of gun murders are committed with handguns, according to the latest FBI figures. By comparison, assault rifles (weapons similar to the one used by the shooter who tried to kill Donald Trump) are used in 3% of cases. The AR-15 is highly controversial, as this rifle was notably used in the mass shooting at a Texas school in 2022.

Regardless of the type of weapon used, the numbers speak for themselves: more than 40,000 deaths in 2022 due to firearms, including approximately 27,000 suicides. That same year, this scourge was also responsible for the deaths of more than 300 children under the age of 11. Furthermore, there are more firearms in circulation than there are people in the United States.

African Americans are more affected by gun violence than the rest of the US population, particularly young people. For example, about a third of gun murder victims are African Americans aged 15 to 34, while they represent only 2% of the population. Moreover, guns are responsible for the deaths of just over half of black adolescents aged 15 to 19.

But carrying guns remains sacred in the United States, protected and sanctified by the Second Amendment. The very powerful gun lobby, the NRA (National Rifle Association), is working to block any legislative progress. Last year, a timid law came to strengthen background checks for gun buyers aged 18 to 21 after yet another mass shooting. However, an American study proves that the states with the strictest gun rules are those where gun violence is lowest.