"Trump just happens to be the most well-known among the targeted" — Ateba says as gun violence statistics reveal nation under siege

In a stark depiction of the ongoing gun violence crisis, data from the Gun Violence Archive reveals that, as of September 16, 2024, approximately 47 people are shot dead each day in the United States, with about 90 others wounded but surviving.

The alarming statistics also show the occurrence of about 1.5 mass shootings daily. This year alone, 12,105 individuals have lost their lives to gunfire, while 23,193 others have suffered non-fatal injuries.

The data highlights a staggering 393 mass shootings and 23 mass murders so far this year. Among the victims, 178 children have been shot dead, with 407 others injured. The figures for teens (ages 12-17) are equally distressing, with 835 killed and 2,326 injured by gunfire.

Law enforcement’s involvement is significant, with 1,049 shootings resulting in suspect fatalities and 890 recorded incidents of defensive gun use.

Additionally, 971 unintentional shootings and 488 murder/suicide cases have been reported. These figures paint a grim picture of a nation grappling with pervasive gun violence in 2024.

Simon Ateba, a White House correspondent, sheds light on the broader implications of these statistics, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond high-profile cases.

“It’s not just Trump being targeted; he just happens to be the most well-known among them. The reality is that people are being killed daily across the country, and it’s happening so frequently that many incidents no longer make national news,” Ateba notes.

Highlighting a disturbing trend, Ateba states, “The alarming rate of deaths and injuries has become so normalized that even some of the most violent acts are often overlooked by the media. Meanwhile, there are barely any federal investigations into these tragedies, leaving communities to cope with the violence largely on their own.”

Ateba further underscores the broader crisis, pointing out that the statistics only account for gun-related casualties. “And these numbers only reflect people killed or injured by guns. The daily toll is even greater when we consider those who die from other weapons, opioid overdoses, or other forms of violence. The crisis is more widespread than just gun violence, yet much of it goes underreported and unnoticed at the national level. The scale of this violence continues to devastate communities, with little intervention or attention from the federal government.”