Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund released a new fact sheet highlighting how guns have fueled a devastating surge in violent crime across Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ watch. In Florida, from 2019 to 2020, violent crime incidents involving guns rose 20 percent; the number of firearm-related homicides surged 21 percent; and the proportion of manslaughter cases involving a firearm increased by 107 percent. The fact sheet also found that gun-related violence is taking a particularly heavy toll on Hispanic communities and young people across the state, with Hispanic populations ages 24 and under twice as likely to die by gun homicide than white youth of the same age.
“It’s clear that Florida’s surge in crime has been driven heavily by guns; yet elected officials in the state still want to weaken gun laws and block any legislation that would make Floridians safer in their communities,” said Jerry Parshall, senior director of CAP Action’s Safety and Justice Campaign. “Sadly, Florida leaders have prioritized millions of dollars in gun lobby donations over their constituents’ safety and well-being.”
Despite the increase in gun crime, extreme MAGA Republicans—notably, Gov. DeSantis and Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio—have loosened regulations on firearms and blocked basic safety measures such as those that would keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and other dangerous people. Gov. DeSantis has even promised to sign permitless carry legislation, a reckless policy that is associated with a 13 to 15 percent increase in violent crime rates and a rise in officer-involved shootings.
Click here to read: “Fact Sheet: Dangerous Gun Laws in Florida”
For additional state fact sheets, see “Dangerous Guns Laws Increase Violent Crime: A State-By-State Analysis”
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].