The United States is home to more than 330 million people and is estimated to have between 390 and 500 million firearms— more than enough to arm every civilian. With such immense power comes both great responsibility and profound consequences. Guns can be a powerful equalizer for freedom and self-defense, but they can just as easily be wielded as tools of harm or oppression. Gun violence and gun rights remain among the most contentious issues in the U.S. Yet, despite increasing gun restrictions, gun violence has not decreased. This project takes a data-driven approach to analyzing trends in gun violence and firearm legislation. The goal of this project is not to sway the reader in one direction or another, but rather to provide clear, objective information to assess whether current policies effectively address the ongoing epidemic of gun violence—or if deeper, underlying issues are being overlooked.
