Licensed gun makers built 11.3 million firearms in 2020, a 187% increase over the number they made in 2000, according to a new federal report that details the significant growth in gun manufacturing in the U.S.
The report, issued Tuesday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, represents the first volume of the government’s first comprehensive assessment of gun trafficking in America in more than two decades. The effort is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal guns amid rising violence.
Gun homicides in 2020 surged to their highest levels in 26 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase continued in 2021, based on preliminary data, according to CDC officials. The report was issued days after a gunman opened fire on a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., killing 10 and injuring three others.
