Black Americans bear the brunt of gun violence in the country, according to a new study released Tuesday (April 11) by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The poll found that 34% of black adults had a family member killed by a gun, compared to 17% of white adults. Another third (32 percent) of Black adults worry almost daily basis that they or a loved one may be a victim of gun violence.
Only about 10% of white adults experience the same fear. Hispanic adults report similar experiences of gun violence as blacks, but at slightly lower rates.
Perhaps much of the fear of gun violence among Black and Hispanic adults in their neighborhoods can be explained. The researchers found that 17 percent of blacks felt “not at all safe” where they lived, compared to 9 percent of Hispanics and just 2 percent of whites.
Overall, the study paints a bleak picture in which firearm accidents are a relatively common experience for adults in the United States.
Researchers found that one in five (21 percent) adults in the United States said they had been personally threatened with a gun.
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Another 19 percent said a family member was killed by a gun, including suicide.
In 2016, the American Medical Association declared gun violence in the United States a public health crisis that requires a comprehensive public health response and resolution.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 79% of all homicides and 53% of all suicides in 2020 involved firearms, noting that the year’s firearm-related homicide rate was the highest on record in over 25 years.
In response to widespread gun violence, 84% of adults said they took precautionary measures. Avoiding large crowds is a safety measure adopted by 35% of adults.
Black Americans topped the list at 55 percent of those who said they avoid going to music festivals and crowded bars and clubs because of safety concerns. Hispanics use the same strategy at 43% compared to 29% of whites.
Buying a gun for protection is something 29 percent of adults have done, and Whites (35 percent) topped that list, followed by Blacks (24 percent) and Hispanics (20 percent).
At the same time, white adults were 47% more likely to have attended gun safety courses or target practice, compared with 34% of blacks and 32% of Hispanics.
