Know the facts: Self-defense gun use is extremely rare
Bonnie L Gross | Published on 6/2/2022
Percentage of people who defended themselves with their guns in violent crimes: Less than 1%
Most purported self-defense gun uses are gun uses in escalating arguments
Firearms are used far more often to intimidate others than in self-defense
Guns in the home are used more often to intimidate intimates than to thwart crime
Adolescents are far more likely to be threatened with a gun than to use one in self-defense
Source: Harvard School of Public Health