The Trace (A.K.A. paperless bird dropping catcher for Everytown & Moms Demand) has this new interactive tool that allows you to check for “gun violence” in your neighborhood.
I checked my zip code and found one from January this year:
Defensive Gun Use for the win! According to the news, the bad guy broke into an apartment at four am and a confrontation ensued. Resident got injured and was taken to the local hospital while the attacker just ruined the floor grouting with assorted internal liquids.
That’s how we roll where I live, baby!
(Too much? yeah, sorry!)
Although the creators of this database obviously have a particular political view of guns they are promoting, I think it can be a useful resource in the other direction, as your post shows.
I did a quick check and, as expected, where I live and work, there are no gun injuries or deaths in the database for 2015. When I have some time, I will get into it further and think it will bear out alot of what we know about people’s likelihood of being victimized: playing stupid games, as you say, but also domestic violence and some criminal assaults of people just minding their own business.
This all reminds me of what I call “the problem with averages.” The problem with averages is that there is no “United States of America” when it comes to guns, violence, and crime, but many Americas. Some of these Americas – like my neighborhood – are more like our first world counterparts, and some of them are more like the third world politically, economically, and socially. Guess where the gun violence is most common? (If I may, I wrote about this here: https://gunculture2point0.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/the-problem-with-averages-in-understanding-guns-violence-and-crime-no-one-lives-in-the-united-states/)
It is always a beautiful thing to “shoot them back” with their own “ammunition.”
Not many incidents in my area, but thought this one might be worth sharing. It’s a good testimonial for using a pocket holster. http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2015/09/25/man-shoots-self-penis-lies-police-affidavit/72806458/
Not too many incidents in my town a bit north of Atlanta, either. If their database is kept up to snuff, it could very well be useful for us pro-firearms folks, contrary to their intent.
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Link?
Type in “the Trace” into Google. Number 2 on the list. At least, it was a minute ago.
Three total incidents in my immediate area.
One non fatal shooting, (adult son shot father). Story claims son has no priors, but a birdie told me he was “known” to LE as trouble from several previous incidents.
One fatal shooting (victim and shooter knew each other, argument over something. Shooter was known drug seller wanted on federal warrants related to drug bust from which he got away). Victim bought, repaired, and sold lots of cars. Argument could have been over drugs, cars or who knows what. Shooting happened at 2 am. I’m betting drugs.
My favorite, though, is this one. Two victims, non fatal. According to the news report, the police think there was a struggle over a gun outside a bar. Police find two people in a limousine with injuries. Both victims taken to hospital. ER could not determine if either wound was from a firearm. No arrests made. So, maybe they weren’t shot, maybe they were. Let’s include it though. (The skinny appears to be that one man had a gun and another tried to take it from him, and the weapon was fired, but since there’s no weapon found, the two parties aren’t talking, and the injuries are not determined to be gunshot wounds, there’s really not a lot to go on.)
I note in the example sample from the site, they list the dead burglar as the victim, and the injured homeowner as the perpetrator…
No bias THERE, of course!
Nahhh! why would you say that?