FBI crime stats for 2018 show more than twice as many people were beaten to death with fists and feet than were killed with rifles of any kind.
The crime stats show there were 297 homicides by rifles in 2018 compared to 672 deaths from fists, feet, and other “personal weapons.”
The FBI reported 403 homicides with rifles during 2017 and 692 deaths by fists, feet, etc. In fact, the 692 people killed by fists, feet, etc., in 2017 was more than the number of homicides by rifles and shotguns combined.
Ironically, the gap between rifle-related homicides and murder by fists, feet, etc., would be even higher if the latter were only compared to semiautomatic rifle deaths. As it stands, the category of rifle includes homicides by means of every kind of rifle.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.