\nBy Colleen Heild \/ Journal Investigative Reporter<\/a><\/h6>\n
Monday, January 18th, 2016 at 12:05am<\/h6>\n
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. \u2014 New Mexico loves its guns. <\/p>\n
Nearly 50 percent of New Mexicans have a gun in the home<\/font>, according to a 2013 survey by public health researchers from Columbia University and Boston University. The national gun ownership rate was 29 percent<\/font>. <\/p>\n
As for ownership of federally registered firearms, such as machine guns, short-barreled shotguns and short-barreled rifles, New Mexico ranked fourth per capita in the United States in 2013<\/font>, according to Bloomberg News. \u2026 <\/p>\n
And it is one of the most dangerous states in the country for gun violence<\/font>, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The state in 2014 had the eighth highest rate of firearms deaths in the United States, considering suicide, homicide and accidental deaths caused by guns. That ranking was up from ninth place a year earlier. <\/p>\n
Over the past five years, the number of visits to New Mexico emergency rooms for firearm injuries increased 65 percent, according to New Mexico Department of Health. <\/p>\n
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High violence rates<\/b> <\/p>\n
Federal data shows New Mexico\u2019s overall firearm injury death rate is more than 1.5 times the U.S. rate. Moreover, the state was deemed the second most dangerous in the country by USA Today<\/font>, based on violent crimes committed per 100,000 people. \u2026 <\/p>\n
Department of Health data shows that nearly 70 percent of firearms injury deaths in New Mexico from 2009 to 2013 were due to self-inflicted gunshots. About 27 percent died from intentional injury or homicide. Less than 1 percent of firearm deaths were accidental. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, New Mexico emergency department visits involving firearm injuries increased dramatically from 2010 to 2014. <\/p>\n
The largest increase involved firearm injuries caused by assaults, which increased by about 53 percent, said Dr. Tierney Murphy with the state DOH. Accidental or unintentional firearm visits increased by 34 percent, and self-inflicted firearm injuries jumped 20 percent over the five-year period. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the emergency department visits for firearm related injuries, it primarily affects males,\u201d Murphy said, noting that 86 percent of the visits involved male patients. \u201cThe highest rate was among young males (age) 15 to 24.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
NM\u2019s love affair with guns \u2013 ABQJournal Online<\/a><\/p>\n
Report: NM fourth-most dangerous state in the U.S. | The NM Political Report<\/a> <\/p>\n
\nNew Mexico is once again the fourth-most dangerous state in the country<\/font>, at least according to the latest yearly survey of violent crime by 24\/7 Wall Street<\/a>. <\/p>\n
The annual survey from the financial news website is based mainly from violent crime rates from the FBI 2014 Uniform Crime Report<\/a>, which is the most comprehensive look at crime in the nation. \u2026 <\/p>\n
New Mexico\u2019s violent crime rate ranked at 597.4 incidents for every 100,000 residents. That\u2019s more than one-and-a-half times the national rate of 366 incidents per every 100,000 people. <\/p>\n
The report notes that immigrants and Hispanics will feel the brunt of the crimes more than other groups because of high poverty rates in those communities and the link between poverty and crime. New Mexico is home to the second-highest poverty rate in the nation. <\/p>\n
Aggravated assault is the most frequent violent crime in New Mexico, according to the report, which happened to an average of 422 of every 100,000 people. <\/p>\n
New Mexico has the second-highest rate of incidents in the country with 3,542 such incidents for every 100,000 people. <\/p>\n
New Mexico previously ranked fourth and second<\/a> on the same survey from 2013 and 2012, respectively. The financial news website also ranked New Mexico high on another unflattering list\u2014as the worst-run state in the U.S<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Report: NM fourth-most dangerous state in the U.S. | The NM Political Report<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We \u201clove\u201d guns in NM. We have lots of guns in NM. Lots of injuries and death by guns. Lots of violence and fear due to guns. More guns. More guns! More guns!!! There is nothing we can do about gun violence except buy a guy and celebrate your freedom. NM\u2019s love affair with guns … Continue reading NM’s love affair with guns – ABQJournal Online<\/span>