71 million guns were imported over the same period, compared to only 7.5 million guns exported, a sign of the flood of weapons available in the country which has fueled a surge in gun violence, murders and suicides, according to the government study.
The arms industry has indeed exploded: while in 2000 the country had only 2,222 arms manufacturing companies in operation, in 2020, there are 16,963, according to the same source. Annual production of firearms for commercial sale has also jumped from 3.9 million in 2000 to 11.3 million firearms in 2020, peaking at 11.9 million in 2016.
The document shows that while Americans have a preference for semi-automatic weapons, which are used in many gunfights, they have purchased primarily the 9mm semi-automatic pistol, considered cheap, accurate and easy to use and similar to the weapon used by police.
“Ghost” weapons
The authorities are also faced with an increase in so-called “ghost” weapons, kit weapons that can be made at home for a few hundred dollars and parts of which can be purchased online or produced by a 3D printer.
Unlike factory-produced guns, they do not have a serial number and, since they are not considered guns throughout the sales process, do not require a gun license or license. submit the buyer to a criminal and psychiatric background check. According to the report, in 2021 the police recovered 19,344 so-called “ghost weapons”, compared to 1,758 in 2016.
“We can address the current surge in violence only if we have the best information available and use the most effective tools and studies to fuel our efforts,” said the US Department of Justice’s second in command. Lisa Monaco, in a press release.
Gun deaths on the rise
The publication of this report comes after a weekend of acute violence in the United States with two shootings: one racist in buffalo in New York State, where ten African Americans were killed, and the other in Los Angeles, California where one person was killed and five others were injured.
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