This unloaded gun was found at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport Sept. 27, 2023. (Photo courtesy TSA)
MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WRN) — A new study unpacks the toll of gun violence in Wisconsin.
Firearms killed 830 Wisconsin residents in 2022.
Nick Matuszewski is the director of policy and programs at WAVE Educational Fund, which produced the Gun Death Wisconsin report with the Violence Policy Center in Washington D.C. He says there were 529 suicides from firearms, and 277 homicides.
“Most of the gun deaths in rural areas were suicides and not homicides. In fact, 81% of all rural gun deaths were suicide,” said Matuszewski. “So when folks say this is an issue that only impacts the cities, Milwaukee, the Madison areas, that’s simply not true.”
Additionally, even though black residents only make up about 6.3% of the population, 75.5% of the firearm homicides were in the Black community.
2020 saw a huge increase in gun sales nationwide during the COVID pandemic.
“Since that time, we’ve seen the rates of firearm violence skyrocket in the country, which proves that the talking point by the gun lobby that more guns in society makes us safer is simply not true,” said Matuszewski. “We know that the more guns in society make us far more likely to have more and more victims of gun violence and makes us less safe.”
Comments