two out of ten people in the US experience gun violence

Two in 10 adults in the United States say they or someone they know has had a personal experience with gun violence, according to a recent survey that shows black and Hispanic adults have experienced it more.

The survey by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research surveyed 1,373 adults and was conducted from July 28 to August 1, using a sample from NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel, designed to reflect the American population. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

The study found that 54% of black Americans and 27% of Hispanics reported that they or a family member or close friend experienced gun violence in the past five years, compared to 13% of white Americans. Overall, 21% of American adults reported some type of connection to gun violence, such as being threatened with a gun or being the victim of a shooting.

Ebony Brown, a 39-year-old accountant from Atlanta, is among those who have seen gun violence affect someone close to them. Her brother was shot to death in 2002 in Jacksonville, Florida.

“He really was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Brown, who is black.

An acquaintance of a friend pulled a gun during an attempted home robbery and shot multiple people, including Brown’s brother, who was killed instantly. Another person also died.

Brown said she doesn’t consider herself a gun enthusiast, but she cares enough about being a victim of violence that she’s considering buying a gun.

“I am really preparing to acquire one. I’ve been to the shooting range,” she said. “My dad is a police officer and he wants me to have one.”

The survey followed a series of mass shootings in the United States, from a grocery store in New York state and an elementary school in Texas to an Independence Day parade in Illinois — along with several incidents of gun violence. of fires in cities in the United States that do not always make headlines, but that leave local communities on edge.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and turn on notifications, or follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.