The horrible mass shooting in Lewiston has brought home to us in Maine the threat of violence in our midst. In this time of high emotions, I felt it might help to present some facts to help readers decide what is the best way forward.

• The rate of serious mental illness is the same all over the world. Schizophrenia occurs in about 0.4% of the population everywhere.

• The U.S. has the highest murder rate in the world, 7.8 homicides per 100,000 people compared to 0.25-1.4 per 100,000 in other affluent countries. Eighty percent are by firearm, and 48,830 Americans died by firearms in 2021, half by suicide.

• The U.S. has more mass shootings than all other affluent countries combined; 560 so far in 2023, or two per day.

• The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, 120 guns per 100 people. Japan has 0.3 guns per 100 citizens. The U.S. murder rate is 31 times that of Japan’s. States with the highest percent of gun ownership have 65% more murders than states with the lowest percentage of gun ownership.

• Having a gun in your home increases the odds three-fold of an innocent person being killed by accident, homicide or suicide. In the rare event of a holdup, you are twice as likely to be injured if you pull a gun than if you call police or run away.

• Fifty-six percent of Americans favor stricter gun laws.

• The NRA spends more than 17 million dollars annually to prevent ANY new gun regulations.

Why do we have so many mass killings and murders in the U.S.? Looking at the facts, I would argue it’s not because we have more disturbed people, just easier access to deadly weapons.

David Preston, M.D.

China Village

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