The latest mass shooting inspired me to check the numbers:
According to the CDC, there are 33,636 deaths from firearms per year (2013 data).
That is 92.15 gun deaths per day.
CDC, Deaths: Final Data for 2013
See Table 10, last line, deaths from "injury by firearms".
There is a breakdown by age:
All ages ---------------------33,636
Age under 1 year old --- 15
Age 1 to 4 years old --- 67
Age 5 to 14 years old --- 327
...
Age 85 and over --- 842
The breakdown of causes of firearm deaths:
Assault (homicide) by discharge of firearm -----------------11,208
Intentional self-harm (suicide) by discharge of firearms -----21,175
Accidental discharge of firearms ----------------------------- 505
Legal intervention ------------------------------------------------ 516*
Discharge of firearms, undetermined intent --------------- 281
* Of course, we know that 'Legal Intervention' (killings by law enforcemant) is at least double this.
My guess is that each of these categories is an underestimate of the true number of gun deaths. Perhaps the author of the Gunfail diaries will check in with better numbers.
These statistics count real people and each is an individual tragedy for the gun victim, their family and their community. I am saddened and angered by this continuing loss of life.
My opinion is that the NRA and other gun right organizations are terrorist organizations and bear responsibility for these deaths.