# data[].attributes.headline
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. It was ratified on December 15, 1791.

# data[].attributes.subject
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. It was ratified on December 15, 1791.

# data[].attributes.headline
Democrats favor stricter gun control laws while Republicans aren't as likely to favor stricter gun laws in the United States.

# data[].attributes.subject
Democrats favor stricter gun control laws while Republicans aren't as likely to favor stricter gun laws in the United States.

# data[].attributes.headline
Arguments against Gun Control: Gun control laws infringe upon the right to self-defense, Gun control laws won't prevent criminals from obtaining them, Gun control gives too much power to the government.

# data[].attributes.subject
Arguments against Gun Control: Gun control laws infringe upon the right to self-defense, Gun control laws won't prevent criminals from obtaining them, Gun control gives too much power to the government.

# data[].attributes.headline
Arguments for Gun Control: Guns are rarely used in self-defense, Countries with restrictive gun control laws have lower gun homicide rates than the U.S., Legally owned guns are frequently stolen by criminals. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Arguments for Gun Control: Guns are rarely used in self-defense, Countries with restrictive gun control laws have lower gun homicide rates than the U.S., Legally owned guns are frequently stolen by criminals. 

# data[].attributes.body
- Roughly half of Americans (53%) favor stricter gun laws

- Around half of Americans (48%) see gun violence as a very big problem in the country today
-Four-in-ten U.S. adults say they live in a household with a gun, including 30% who say they personally own one

A majority of Americans favor stricter gun laws but coming to an agreement on those laws is much more difficult. The scale varies so much from person to person and opinions are strong both ways. There is a large portion of the population that own guns. If gun control laws went into affect would the government be able to retrieve these firearms?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Six-in-ten U.S. adults say gun violence is a very big problem in the country today, up 9 percentage points from spring 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Data shows gun ownership in the US has grown over the last several years

Gun violence is a fixture in American life - but the issue is a highly political one, pitting gun control advocates against people who are fiercely protective of their right to bear arms.

We've looked into some of the numbers behind firearms in the US.

Mass shootings on the rise

There have been more than 560 mass shootings across the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed. Their figures include shootings that happen in homes and in public places.

For each of the last three years there have been more than 600 mass shootings - almost two a day on average.

The deadliest such attack, in Las Vegas in 2017, killed more than 50 people and left 500 wounded. The vast majority of mass shootings, however, leave fewer than 10 people dead.

How do US gun deaths break down?

48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the US during 2021, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That's nearly an 8% increase from 2020, which was a record-breaking year for firearm deaths.

While mass shootings and gun murders (homicides) generally garner much media attention, more than half of the total in 2021 were suicides.

That year, more than 20,000 of the deaths were homicides, according to the CDC.

Data shows more than 50 people are killed each day by a firearm in the US.

That's a significantly larger proportion of homicides than is the case in Canada, Australia, England and Wales, and many other countries.

How many guns are there in the US?

While calculating the number of guns in private hands around the world is difficult, the latest figures from the Small Arms Survey - a Swiss-based research project - estimated that there were 390 million guns in circulation in the US in 2018.

The US ratio of 120.5 firearms per 100 residents, up from 88 per 100 in 2011, far surpasses that of other countries around the world.

More recent data out of the US suggests that gun ownership grew significantly over the last few years. A study, published by the Annals of Internal Medicine in February, found that 7.5 million US adults became new gun owners between January 2019 and April 2021.

This, in turn, exposed 11 million people to firearms in their homes, including 5 million children. About half of new gun owners in that time period were women, while 40% were either black or Hispanic.

Who supports gun control?

A majority of Americans are in favour of gun control.

57% of Americans surveyed said they wanted stricter gun laws - although this fell last year - according to polling by Gallup.

32% said the laws should remain the same, while 10% of people surveyed said they should be "made less strict".

The issue is extremely divisive, falling largely along party lines.

"Democrats are nearly unanimous in their support for stricter gun laws," another Gallup study noted, with nearly 91% in favour of stricter gun laws.

Only 24% Republicans, on the other hand, agreed with the same statement, along with 45% of Independent voters.

Some states have taken steps to ban or strictly regulate ownership of assault weapons. Laws vary by state but California, for example, has banned ownership of assault weapons with limited exceptions.

Some controls are widely supported by people across the political divide - such as restrictions governing the sale of guns to people who are mentally ill or on "watch" lists.

Who opposes gun control?

Despite years of financial woes and internal strife, the National Rifle Association (NRA) remains the most powerful gun lobby in the United States, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy.

Over the last several election cycles, it, and other organisations, have consistently spent more on pro-gun rights messaging than their rivals in the gun control lobby.

A number of states have also gone as far as to largely eliminate restrictions on who can carry a gun. In June 2021, for example, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a "permitless carry bill" that allows the state's residents to carry handguns without a licence or training.

Similarly, in April last year Georgia became the 25th in the nation to eliminate the need for a permit to conceal or openly carry a firearm. The law means any citizen of that state has the right to carry a firearm without a licence or a permit.

The law was backed by the NRA, and leaders within the organisation called the move "a monumental moment for the Second Amendment".

Copyright 2023 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

Beta Terms By using the Beta Site, you agree that such use is at your own risk and you know that the Beta Site may include known or unknown bugs or errors, that we have no obligation to make this Beta Site available with or without charge for any period of time, nor to make it available at all, and that nothing in these Beta Terms or your use of the Beta Site creates any employment relationship between you and us. The Beta Site is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis and we make no warranty to you of any kind, express or implied.

In case of conflict between these Beta Terms and the BBC Terms of Use these Beta Terms shall prevail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How many US mass shootings have there been in 2023?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explaining some of the key statistics behind gun ownership and attacks linked to guns in the US.

# data[].attributes.body
950 school shootings since Sandy Hook is far and away more school shootings than any other country in the world. It's an immediate problem that requires an immediate response. Some type of legislation should be put in place to enact change on the current climate of school shootings. Making the age limit higher, more background checks, and more education in schools needs to be done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The nationwide gun control debate resurfaced on Tuesday, after an 18-year-old shooter entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 students and two adults in the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. The mass shooting came just 10 days after another 18-year-old gunman opened fire at a Buffalo, N.Y. grocery store, killing 10 people and injuring three others.

In the aftermath, prominent voices have urged Congress to pass gun control laws and universal background checks, from Sen. Chris Murphy, who represents Connecticut where the Sandy Hook school shooting happened, to NBA coach Steve Kerr to the Pope. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers said they won't back laws that limit gun rights.

While the push for accountability intensifies as details emerge from what happened in the hour after police officers arrived at the shooting up until they killed the gunman, let's look at these statistics that help inform the gun control debate in the United States.

100

Number of people killed by guns in the U.S., every day

12

Number of children who die every day from gun violence in the U.S.

950

School shootings since Sandy Hook, including 27 school shootings so far this year.

18 to 21

Peak ages for violent offending with firearms

8 million

Number of AR-15s and its variations in circulation

9 in 10

Number of people who will die after attempting suicide with a gun

98

Percentage of mass shooters who are men

89

Percentage of gun owners who favor preventing the "mentally ill" from purchasing guns

77

Percentage of gun owners who favor background checks at private sales and gun shows

54

Percentage of gun deaths that are suicides; 43% are murders

79

Percentage of murders that involved a firearm

<1

Percentage of people who defended themselves with their guns in violent crimes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 stats to help inform the gun control debate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The debate over stricter gun control laws intensifies as details emerge from the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an important image because it shows how pro gun protesters feel about the issue. Many fear that gun control is a method the government is using to take control away from the people. Guns are such an embedded part of United States' roots as a country.

# data[].attributes.body
This picture/protest is important because it highlights the current fears that students have because of gun violence becoming an increasing issue at schools. Many believe action needs to be taken because the U.S. is facing continuing mass shootings.