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Gun thefts from cars are the largest source of stolen guns. Our new report shows the need for action:
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John–
On July 22, 2021, a gun was stolen from an unlocked car in Riverside, Florida.
Twelve days later, that same gun was used in the murder of a 27-year-old U.S. Coast Guard member as she attempted to intervene in a neighborhood car burglary.
And this story is all too common across the country. The majority of gun homicides and assaults in the U.S. involve stolen or illegal guns, but where do these guns come from, and how do they get into dangerous hands?
The answer? Unsecured guns in cars: On average, at least one gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes in the United States.
Watch the video to learn more about this growing problem and our new report: "Gun Thefts from Cars: The Largest Source of Stolen Guns."
Sadly, John, the number of gun thefts from cars is on the rise.
The rate of gun thefts from cars across FBI-reporting cities tripled in the last ten years, rising from an estimated 21 thefts per 100,000 people in 2013 to 63 per 100,000 in 2022.
In fact, Memphis, Tennessee—the city with the highest rate of guns stolen from cars—had over 3,000 gun thefts from vehicles in 2022.
Our report also reveals that cities in states with the weakest gun safety laws see nearly 18 times the rate of gun thefts from cars as those in states with the strongest gun laws.
This is how we know gun safety laws work.
Every gun stolen from a car increases the chances it could be used in a violent crime.
And there are solutions.
Securely storing guns in a car or the home can prevent theft and access to children, unauthorized users, and anyone who may pose a danger to themself or others.
Learn how secure storage could help prevent more gun thefts and gun violence in our communities in this new video.
Thank you for being in this movement,
Sarah Burd-Sharps
She/Her/Hers
Senior Director of Research
Everytown for Gun Safety
