The agency updated the estimates of the minimum number of defensive gun uses from 60,000 to 500,000 annually.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has restored research data regarding defensive gun use that was removed from its website in 2022. The data in question updated its lower-end estimates for annual defensive gun use per year from 60,000 to 500,000 incidents, reflecting a 2013 National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report. The revision follows a review initiated by President Trump’s administration.
The data was restored after gun rights advocates criticized the 2022 removal of the defensive use statistics at the urging of gun control advocates. A Freedom of Information Act request showed that gun control advocates had supported the removal of the data from the CDC’s website, as the information was being used to oppose legislation restricting firearms.
This update is likely to impact gun rights and gun control policies in the U.S., as federal statistics surrounding the use of firearms are frequently cited in debates. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also faced questions regarding its reported numbers of armed citizens stopping active shooters between 2014 and 2025.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Director Erica Schwartz and CDC personnel as they seek to ensure the accuracy of published safety data.
- For Director Patel as the FBI reviews its data on armed citizens stopping active shooters.
- For administration officials as they take action that impacts Second Amendment rights.
Sources: The Liberty Tribune, Texas Gun Rights
