Gun violence is something that happens all across the United States. You often hear people talk about total numbers of deaths when trying to determine the scope of the issue.
However, it’s important to note that total numbers don’t actually tell the story. You need to look at death rates and per capita numbers to see where a certain state ranks. This allows you to compare them even when the states have very different population levels to see which one actually has higher levels of firearm violence. So where does Tennessee rank when you do it this way?
The top 10
The truth is that Tennessee is actually one of the most dangerous states in the country, ranking in the top 10 – at 10th overall – for firearm death rate. The rate is 21.3 deaths for every hundred thousand people in the total population.
By comparison, Mississippi is the most dangerous state, with a firearm death rate of 28.6 people for every 100,000. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Hawaii. In Hawaii, there are only 3.4 deaths for every hundred thousand people.
Of course, the highest overall totals are in states with higher populations, such as New York, California, Florida and Texas. Naturally, Texas usually leads the way in firearm deaths, and it was the only state to break 4,000 in 2020. But you can see how applying the rate to all of the states, rather than the total, helps to level the playing field and show where they rank compared to one another.
Additionally, with this many events taking place every year, it’s very important for all of those who have been accused of gun violence to know what legal defense options they have.
