Gun Violence
“My husband Olof was a respected physician, a loving husband, and an amazing dad to our three daughters. He’d struggled with depression in college, but had been symptom-free for years, when one April day, seemingly out of the blue, he drove to our local mall, bought a gun, and shot himself in our backyard. He died within two hours of purchasing
the gun.
While 70% of people who survive a suicide attempt will never try again, guns are so lethal that they don’t allow for a second chance. Sensible gun laws like a waiting period between buying and accessing a gun could have made all of the difference between life and death for my husband.”
– McKay Sohlberg, Eugene
GUN VIOLENCE BY THE NUMBERS
Gun violence is currently a public safety—and public health—crisis in Oregon. Learn more about its devastating toll.
38,826
is the number of people in America who die each year from gun violence
92
is the number of 2021 homicide deaths in Portland alone, a record-breaking year of violence
81%
of gun deaths in Oregon that are suicide
522
is the average number of people who die by guns in Oregon every year
23
is Oregon’s place among the 50 states with the highest rate of unintentional gun deaths
21
is the number of hours between gun suicide deaths in Oregon
70%
of the people in Portland killed by gun violence who were people of color
10X
more likely Black people in Oregon are to die by gun homicide than white people
3.3 Billion
dollars, is what gun violence costs Oregon each year
“For survivors of domestic violence who are trying to escape, a gun in the home makes it even more difficult to do so safely. We know in situations of intimate partner violence that having a gun in the home increases the risk of fatality fivefold.
Even reporting the gun to authorities can lead to devastating retaliation if there's not a swift, clear pathway to hold abusers accountable. An abuser having a gun puts the survivor in an extremely dangerous, precarious position of not feeling safe to leave the relationship."