A group of physicians and firearm researchers are collaborating to create a common metric to measure the lethality of different types of guns and bullets, Fairriona Magee reports in her latest story for The Trace. The effort, which would eventually result in what’s known as a lethality index, could help policymakers better decide how to respond to varying levels of harm.
To understand the lethality of a given disease, medical experts use a measure known as case fatality rate, or CFR, which is the proportion of people who die from a specific disease among all the people diagnosed with it over a given period. That percentage is key for developing treatments and understanding the severity of specific diseases.
In their work to create a lethality index, researchers are applying that same methodology to bullets. The index would scientifically illustrate how bullets shot from different firearms perform under specific parameters. The idea goes back decades: Trevor Dupuy, a military historian, developed his own index of military weapons in 1964, and charted how weaponry became more lethal over time. Magee has more in her story.
From the Trace
What If Medical Experts Tracked the Lethality of Bullets Like Smallpox, Influenza, or HIV?: A group of physicians and firearm researchers are working to index how different guns and bullets inflict varying levels of harm.
Some Chicago Gunshot Victims Don’t Trust Ambulances: Survivors are choosing to transport themselves to the hospital instead of waiting for emergency services. Experts say the Chicago Fire Department isn’t doing everything it can to improve slow response times.
What Do You Think of Our Gun Violence Coverage?: Let us know by taking our reader survey. (If you’ve already taken it, consider sharing our survey with your network — we want to hear from as many people as possible, including folks who may not yet read The Trace!)
What to Know Today
The Utah House passed a bill to teach public school students as young as kindergarteners about firearm safety in the classroom. The proposal, passed in a 59-10 vote, would require K-12 children to receive lessons on safely handling and storing a gun throughout their years in school. The bill now heads to the state Senate. [Associated Press]
In 2023, Andrew Lester, a white man, shot Ralph Yarl, a Black honors student, after he rang Lester’s doorbell by mistake. The shooting, which Yarl survived, opened a nationwide conversation about race and gun policies. Now, as part of a plea deal, Lester has pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, a charge that carries up to seven years in prison. [Associated Press]
On Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that if the U.S. designates Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, Mexico will expand its lawsuit against American gun manufacturers. Sheinbaum said her country could allege “complicity” of U.S. gunmakers with terror groups. [CBS]
The Georgia Legislature’s GOP majority approved a bill to create a tax holiday for guns, ammunition, and firearm accessories. The legislation proposes scheduling the break to coincide with hunting season. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers have criticized the bill, noting that there isn’t a state tax holiday for school supplies. In turn, Democrats are supporting a plan that would offer a tax break for purchasing safe storage devices. [Georgia Recorder]
In Miami Beach, a man was charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly firing 17 shots at a car he thought contained two Palestinian men; the victims, identified as Israelis, were wounded. The shooting comes amid heightened anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate. [The Washington Post]
As the country shifts and growing divides about identity become increasingly prominent, the preconception that most gun owners are conservative, white men is becoming less true. The stories of five new gun owners illustrate the “tipping points” that are pushing more Americans to buy a firearm. [The New York Times]
Michigan’s secure storage law was enacted one year ago this month. To raise awareness of the safe gun storage practices, the state Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan State Police are giving out free gun locks. In 2024, the state passed out almost 57,000 gun locks with $500,000 of funding. [Detroit Public Radio/Detroit Free Press]
Data Point
2,526 – the number of children ages 1 to 17 who died by a firearm in 2022, according to a study released in late 2024. [Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions]
Non-Sequitur
Why Did the Seal Cross the Road? To Get to Connecticut’s Pizza Haven.
A baby seal found its way into a neighborhood of auto shops and pizzerias in New Haven, Connecticut. [The New York Times]
