[Ironbarr]

In the car this PM, Dr. Dean Idell (sp) was running through his stance on some subject (I don't know the topic) and threw in the statistics (his?) of "odds of dying by" - shark meal 1 in 300 million, for instance, and a batch of others.

Everything was in the 1 in n-millions and 1 in hundred(s) thousands. When death by gun came up he reported 1 in 28000.

Seems to me this is a really bad number - anyone have the real number (and reference)???

-Andy

[MeekandMild]

I wouldn't worry about it. Your odds of dying in an impact of a giant asteroid from outer space are calculated as one in 20,000 (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/impact_debate_part2_030218.html) so you can safely say it is more likely you will be killed by a falling rock from the sky as getting shot. :what:

[Art Eatman]

From CDC data: Suicides are about half of all deaths involving firearms. About 1,000 firearms-related deaths per year are accidental. The total of firearms-related deaths is approximately 32,000 per year. IOW, firearms-related homicides are about one-third the number of deaths involving automobiles/trucks.

15,000 (+/-) divided into 290 million = just under 20,000:1 against dying via firearms-related homicide in any one year.

6,600:1 against dying in a car wreck, in any one year.

I don't claim exactitude, but the number of 56,000 comes to mind as the total number of homicides in a year--but that's about ten years back (Atlanta Constitution). With handgun-homicides running about 11,000 per year, they are involved in only a bit over 20% of all homicides.

Testimony back during all the nattering over "Assault Weapons" included the datum that in New York state during the previous year, three people were killed via use of an AW. Somewhere around 2,500 were killed by clubs, fists and feet.

Art

[MikeK]

I don't, but am very interested. The same number was quoted in Parade magazine last Sunday. I meant to research it, but havn't had the time. The FBI and some other agencies publish statistics on gun fatalities.

[Skunkabilly]

Depends who you hang around. "...firearm being used on someone you know..." to some researchers mean your drug dealer.

[Standing Wolf]

Adding up all the people in the country and doing mathematics against all the people who've died as a result of gunshot wounds is ludicrous. It all depends on the way you live.

[Azrael256]

Odds Getting Killed By Firearm??? Zero. You might, however, get killed by a person with a firearm.

[Double Naught Spy]

Standing Wolf, your point is well taken that there is a certail loss of relevance by using national statistics and that ideally stats should be used from local areas to get a geographical relevance, and also to time so as to determine when during the year things might tend to happen most.

Anti-gun folks take the refinement even further by noting than in comparisons to home situations, there is a much greater chance of a death due to firearms within the home than to deaths where their are no firearms present.

Using national stats really is nothing more than getting a very generalized view of the situation, an average of sorts. With averages, then you know there are places with higher rates and places with lower rates.

[cuchulainn]

The total of firearms-related deaths is approximately 32,000 per year. Actually it's down to about 28,000. See www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. :)

[cordex]

As skunky mentioned, pure 1/however million statistics are rarely accurate for everyone.
Someone who doesn't play on railroad tracks has a substantially lower chance of being run over by a train than a deaf individual who makes a habit of walking the rails, eh?
Similarly, the chances I will be killed by someone with a firearm are greatly diminished due to the choices I've made on how to live my life.