Did you know: People know theshooter?

Recent national survey data shows that the majority of Americans who know a gunshot victim also know the person who shot them.

According to a 2022–2023 survey by Mickelsen Dalton LLC, 57% of U.S. adults reported personally knowing at least one gunshot victim. Of those, 52.2% said the victim knew their attacker. This means that in more than half of cases where someone knows a shooting victim, they also know the shooter.

57% of Americans know at least one gunshot victim.
17% know more than one gunshot victim.
27% of those who know a victim say the victim was fatally shot.
52.2% of respondents reported that the victim knew the shooter.
Relationships to the victim:
- 62% know a friend who was shot
- 42% know a family member who was shot
- 28% know an acquaintance
- 17.5% know a classmate
- 9% were shot themselves

Context

The FBI also reports that most gun violence victims know their shooter, whether as a friend, family member, or acquaintance. This aligns with the survey’s finding that personal connections are common in shooting cases.

What this means

In practical terms, over half of people who know a shooting victim also know the person who shot them, and in many cases, the shooter is someone close to the victim — a friend, family member, or acquaintance — rather than a stranger. This underscores the personal and community impact of gun violence, as well as the importance of understanding the social context of shootings.

All sources are from safer-america.com