Tens of thousands of Hispanics were killed with guns or died in gun homicides and suicides from 2001 to 2021 in the U.S., according to a new study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). In total, 75,000 were killed, with 47,119 dying in gun homicides and 23,686 dying in gun suicides. A further 1,184 died from unintentional gun deaths, and 2,505 died in other firearm deaths. Of the Hispanic people that guns killed in 2021, 60%, or 3,455, died in gun homicides. That year, guns were used in 78% of the homicides where the victims were Hispanic. An additional 2,037 Hispanic lives were lost in gun suicides that year. The study also details how America’s firearms industry and gun lobby, as the result of the saturation of the traditional white male market for guns in the U.S., have targeted Hispanics as a new untapped market for gun sales and political power. That campaign started in 2015 with the end goal of increasing the political power of the pro-gun movement.
The study recommends that government agencies collect data on death and injury and should obtain complete information on the ethnic origin of individuals in addition to their race. This would ensure complete and accurate data collection on Hispanic victims of lethal violence. It also recommends additional efforts to support current violence reduction programs and activities, as well as identifying new violence reduction strategies, improving access to resources for victims and survivors of domestic violence, and identifying anti-trafficking measures to help interrupt the flow of illegal firearms to impacted communities. The study also says relevant organizations and advocates should be made aware of the firearms industry’s marketing efforts targeting the Hispanic community.