More Americans were killed by firearms in 2020 than at any time since record keeping began in 1981, newly tabulated data show. There were 45,222 U.S. gun deaths, an increase of almost 14 percent from the year before.
As lawmakers debate loosening gun restrictions and expanding civilian use of deadly force against looters, a new 41-state study asks how “stand your ground” laws might affect homicide rates.“Stand your ground” laws, also known as “shoot first" laws, permit people to use deadly force in self-defense as a first resort, replacing the common law principle of a “duty to retreat"